


Family Ties

by Tobi_Boone



Category: Lost Boys (1987)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:29:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4160454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tobi_Boone/pseuds/Tobi_Boone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Emerson's have all been turned and are now part of Max's Family. David is not pleased with the arrangement. Mostly David's POV</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Additions

**Author's Note:**

> Well, pass that wine bottle around and let me tell you a story, kiddies! A story full of violence, pseudo-romance, and family. Well, all those things are far as defined by vampires that is.

            Too crowded. Too stuffy. Too quiet. And much, much too close.

            David glared around the room and felt his hackles raising as the Bitch’s eyes found his, he huffed and quickly got up, their eyes still locked as he moved to the other room where Max was doing some paperwork, the blonde closed the door behind him and waited patiently until Max finally acknowledged his presence,

            “Yes, David?”

            “I want to go.” David said calmly, “Home, I mean.”

            “I already told you, that place isn’t safe, we will be relocating the Family somewhere safer.” Max put his papers down and folded his hands on the desk, fixing David with a very false look of patience, “Your little 'fort' isn’t safe right now, that’s why I have the abject pleasure of all eight of us wedged in here for the duration.”

            David resisted the urge to throw something or stomp his foot in agitation, he settled for crossing his arms and dropping his gaze, “Okay.”

            He heard Max sigh and stand, moving around his desk to sit on it not a foot from David,

            “Sweetling, I know that the new additions to the Family take some . . . _adjusting_ to and if I know you at all, then I’d say you’re a little jealous of my mate and her kin.”

            David grit his teeth, “I won’t call her ‘mom’ if that’s what you want. And they _aren’t_ my brothers either! They-They tried to kill you, after everything!”

            Max sighed again and stood to put his hands on David’s shoulders, “Oh, my precious little boy, did you really think that a couple of teenagers stood even a slight chance against me? Me, a vampire Lord of nearly four hundred years and counting? Come now, this is more than a little jealousy, isn’t it? Is your pride perhaps bruised that they were able to knock you about until Daddy came to the rescue? Hmm? A bit of resentment that you aren’t taken to bed as often now that I have Lucy to amuse me?”

            David flinched and glared at the floor between them, but he kept quiet.

            “Now, your other brothers are all settling in just fine. Dwayne, Paul, and Marko don’t seem to have any qualms with the new members of the Family, why are you reacting so hostilely? I thought you and Michael got along just fine and Sam is a more than willing participant in the hunts, what has you so unhappy?” Max’s thumbs stroked David’s tensed shoulders, “Is it because that little wench and the child got away? Hmm?”

            “Makes me look bad, doesn’t it?” David mumbled, grateful that they had at least one thing they could agree on.

            “David, now it wasn’t your fault, we already discussed it, didn’t we? Sometimes vampires don’t fit so they run off. Most of them do indeed die but that’s just a sad decision they make. Star and Laddie are no exception and I doubt that the Hunters will let them get away, now that our presence is more than made known thanks to those two Frog brats.”

            David felt Max’s grip tighten at the mention of the two would-be Hunters, “They made you look bad, Daddy, I was going to kill them but you made me let them go! Why?”

            “Because two more children brutally murdered in deliciously sadistic ways draws more media attention than squawks about vampires. So the Hunters know where we’re holed up? So what? They can’t touch us if we don’t make a move first, we simply move out of the state and find a new home.”

            David was about to comment when the door opened slightly and Sam knocked on it, “Got a minute?”

            David opened his mouth to snap that _no,_ Max did _not_ have a minute and that they were talking but Max smiled and waved for the youngest of their number to come in.

            “Certainly, Sam, what’s on your mind?” Max gave David a look over Sam’s head that spoke volumes and the blonde vampire hurriedly made his retreat as far from the others as possible.

* * *

           “Sulking?”

            David glared slowly up at Michael, “Shut it.”

            “Grouchy. Look, Dave-“

            “It’s _David,_ to you.” David snapped, feeling his gums itch with the desire to bite Michael.

            “Right, sorry, _David_ , I know we’re kind of cramping your style by being here, but I was really hoping you and I could at least be friends. You were the one that wanted to turn me, after all.” Michael scuffed his toe on the carpeting.

            “I did _not_ want to turn you, Michael, I was following Max’s orders, he wanted you and your little family, not me!” David snapped, chucking the book he’d been trying to read at Michael, “We were perfectly fine before you lot came to Santa Carla and now we have to move!”

            Michael easily dodged the book and had to take a few steps back when David snapped to his feet.

            “It’s all your fault! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have to take second-fiddle to your bitch of a mother!”

            “Shut up about my mother, David!” Michael moved into David’s space, baring blunt teeth.

            “I’ll say whatever I want about her! You know what’ll happen? Max’ll play with the bitch for a while then he’ll get tired of her and he’ll take me back! Then you and your stupid brother will be all alone with no protection and the Hunters can have you then!” David’s fangs dropped and he was ready to get into a fight but then there was movement in the corner of his eye, he turned and his fangs shrank back to normal canines, “ . . . Daddy.”

            “I think you’ve said enough, David, go to your room and cool off.” Max gestured behind him, his face calm and composed as the blonde hurried by, pausing to try and catch Max’s eye before hurrying off. Max turned to Michael and sighed, “You’ll have to forgive him, Michael, he’s used to things being the way they are, after almost fifty years, can you really blame him?”

            “I guess not, but what he said isn’t true, right? You won’t just give Mom up like that, will you?” Michael swallowed nervously and fidgeted.

            “Of course not, Michael, I care very much for Lucy and you boys, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have wasted my time. David . . . just needs time to adjust, the world has revolved around him for several decades and he feels like he’s being replaced. Come, we need to have a little Family meeting, I think.”

            Michael hurried to follow Max only to stiffen when the older vampire slung an arm around his shoulders. He relaxed when he realized the touch was familial and not meant to be threatening or controlling,

            “Alright.”

* * *

            David sat in his ‘room’ in the basement, that’s what he’d been reduced to . . . bunking in the basement with his brothers instead of upstairs where he belonged . . . with Max.

            “Hey, why the long face?”

            David glanced up to where Paul was hanging from the crossbeams in the ceiling,

            “Fuck off, Paul.”

            “C’mon, man, we all know what’s going through your head, you don’t have to hide it.” Paul walked closer so that his long blonde hair almost hung around David’s head.

            “I don’t want to talk about it!” David snapped, smacking Paul’s hair out of his face.

            “David, we all know you were Daddy’s special boy.”

            Paul hopped down and landed next to David, he settled down on the futon, leaning back on his hands,

            “You don’t have to pretend you aren’t crushed that Max picked someone else to be his mate.”

            David closed his eyes and shook his head, “Fifty fucking years . . . I’ve been with him for fifty years, Paul, now he’s got _her_ and suddenly it’s different.”

            “Oh, come on, David-boy, he’s not tossing you away, just adding to our numbers! It’s nice, isn’t it, having a ‘Mum’ and all that? Besides we got a new little brother to play with along with Michael. So you’re not going to be sleeping at Max’s feet like Thorn anymore, so what? We can get up to all sorts of naughty things like always! Is that so bad?” Paul leaned over to catch David’s eye.

            “ . . . I guess.” David mumbled.

            “You’re not going to cry, are you? I’m a social crier, right? You cry, I have to cry too. Just like when we’d sneak into the movies.” Paul nudged David playfully.

            “No, I’m not going to cry.” David tried to glare at Paul but it wouldn’t stick then Marko popped his head in, “What?”

            “Pop wants all of us upstairs in five for a ‘meeting’ or something. Says you can come out now if you promise to be, and I quote, ‘a good little boy and not pick fights with your brother’ end quote.” Marko’s eyebrow quirked, “You the reason there was shouting about Mom earlier?”

            “Dammit, Marko, she isn’t your mom!” David snapped at the younger vampire as he sprang to his feet, “She’s younger than all of us!”

            Marko hopped back to get out of David’s way, “Don’t shoot the messenger, okay?”

            “Leave him be, he’s sore that Dad isn’t calling him in the middle of the day for special fun.” Paul muttered, taking Marko’s hand and hurrying up the stairs.

* * *

            David walked into the room and had to fight to keep the snarl off his face and out of his voice as he stared at Lucy sitting on the arm of Max’s chair. He moved to stand as far as he could from them both. Dwayne was sitting comfortably back on the sofa with Sam leaning into him (he’d always been soft for little kids, ever since Laddie disappeared he’d clung onto Sam) and Michael was sitting off to one side, he glanced at David for a second then went back to the book he’d been reading (incidentally the same one that David had thrown at him earlier). Paul and Marko both collapsed on the sofa next to Dwayne and Sam.

            “Ah, good, we’re all here. David, dear, would you mind turning to face me so I know you're not swearing under your breath? Thank you,” Max smiled condescendingly at David before addressing the group, “As you all are aware, we are moving, so I’ve made some calls and finalized a few things and we’ll be packing up and skedaddling in a few nights.”

            “Where we going then?” Paul asked, huffing out a breath to get some hair off his face.

            “Washington.” Max smiled, reaching over to brush Paul’s hair back when it didn’t get off after the third breath.

            “D.C.?” Sam asked, perking up.

            “No, the state, Sam, honey.” Lucy smiled.

            “What?” David’s mouth dropped open, “Of all the lamest places on Earth and you picked _Washington_? There’s _nothing_ to do there! And hardly any people too! What do you expect us to do, eat grass or worse, animals?”

            Max’s brow furrowed, “It will only be temporary, David, we need somewhere secluded to lay low for a month or so until I’m sure that it is safe, then we’ll be transferred to one of my properties on the East coast.”

            “Well that’s even _better_! We never go anywhere where things are happening! This sucks!” David glared and turned back to the window angrily.

            “Michael, Paul, Marko, and Dwayne can follow us on the bikes while we take my car.” Max said calmly.

            “WHAT???” David whipped around, “What about my bike?”

            “Michael will have it, his is falling apart.” Max explained.

            “NO! You make _him_ ride with you and _her_ and the dog and the brat! I want to ride my bike! It’s mine!” David roared, clenching his fists and barely concealed tears welled up in his eyes.

            “I seem to remember writing the check for it. And I say you’re riding with me so I can keep an eye on you! You’ve already proven less rational and I’m not putting your brothers’ lives in your hands again.” Max stood up, several inches taller than David and looking down his nose at the young vampire, “You’re reckless, foolhardy and frankly, David, you’ve been incredibly disappointing these last few days with how you’re conducting yourself!”

            David flinched and his jaw clenched and unclenched with the effort of stopping his lip from quivering, “I-“

            “You have said enough, you will be in the car with _your mother_ , Sam and I. That is final!” Max snapped.

            “I-It’s not fair!” David shouted, holding onto the last shred of rebellion he had in him.

            “Life isn’t fair, David, get used to it or go see a sunrise.” Max bit out, arms crossed across his chest.

            David’s eyes widened and that was the last straw, “You’d like that wouldn’t you? You’d just love to be rid of me! One less mouth to feed since you’ve got your pretty little family! And you know what? Why don’t I do that? Been nearly fifty years since I saw a good sunrise! You don’t need me now that you got some other hole to fuck-“

            CRACK!

            David was flung backwards and he yelped when his back slammed into the doorway, cracking the wood, his cheek burning from the backhand Max had landed on his face. His last ounce of emotional control broke and he sobbed, his back radiating enough pain that he could excuse the tears for ones of physical pain, not how his dead heart broke.

            David shakily got to his feet and hurried back to the basement, leaping up and gripping the ceiling with his feet. He scurried to a corner and huddled there, sobbing angrily into his knees.

* * *

            Several hours later David heard footsteps, he didn’t even bother to look around until he felt eyes on him,

            “What do you want?” He muttered.

            Marko, Paul and Dwayne all exchanged looks then Paul sighed and licked his lips,

            “You’re . . . You’re not _really_ thinking about . . . about killing yourself, are you?”

            David blinked at the concern in Paul’s voice and he let go of the ceiling and landed in front of his brothers. He wiped at his nose with the back of his hand and shook his head,

            “No.”

            There was a collective release of pent-up breath and all three were visibly relaxing.

            “Good, you had us really worried, you bleached asshole!” Marko reached over and play-punched David’s shoulder.

            “That was really not cool what you said up there.” Dwayne mumbled.

            “I don’t care!” David shouted then he swallowed and looked away, “I . . . I don’t even know why I’m so angry.”

            Paul sighed, they all moved to the futon and sprawled out on it, David wound up on his back with Dwayne sitting up at his feet with his back to the wall, Paul lying on his stomach next to David and Marko had David’s head in his lap.

            “ . . . I think you’re just losing so much control over what’s happening that you can’t hold it in anymore.” Marko murmured, running his fingers gently through David’s hair, working the hairspray out.

            David snorted, “I had an _illusion_ of control.”

            “It was still something.” Paul pointed out, “C’mon, it isn’t so bad now, is it? I mean, we have a proper family now and we’re moving out of this dried-out town. We knew we wouldn’t be able to stay forever, Davey. Family as big as ours with four growing boys to feed in it? No way! We’d have to move on eventually or risk slaughtering the whole place! And let’s face it, David, it’ll be nice to just cool it and hang out for a while, just us. No humans or Hunters or whatever messing up our style!” He nudged David with his elbow.

            “I guess . . . “ David sighed heavily and reached over to squeeze Paul’s asscheek, “Wanna blow me?”

            Paul seemed to consider the question before shrugging his shoulders, “Yeah, I could do that.”

            The skinny blonde shifted to be lying between David’s legs, he ran his fingers slowly between the older vampire’s legs, feeling his growing erection,

            “Missed this, didn’t you?”

            “Been a long few days, of course he missed this.” Marko smiled and kept stroking his fingers through David’s hair.

            Dwayne smiled and leaned over to nuzzle Marko’s neck, “We all missed this.”

            “We used to be so close to each other . . . “ David murmured, closing his eyes when Paul managed to get his pants off.

            “We still are, that much hasn’t changed,” Paul murmured, pillowing his cheek on David’s thigh, his hand working David’s length in slow, lazy strokes, “We’re still brothers and we’re still here together. That isn’t going to change until we’re dust and you know Dad wouldn’t let us get out of eternity that easy.”

            David snuffled and shook his head, “Not me . . . he’d rather I dust myself.”

            “He didn’t mean it like that, honey.” Paul murmured, scooting up to press into David’s body, kissing the other blonde’s jaw lightly, “Don’t cry, David, he loves you just like we do . . . we wouldn’t be a Family without you, sweetie.”

            David shook his head emphatically, “Take off your fucking clothes, Paul.”

            “Heh, alright, David, calm down.” Paul sat back and pulled his shirt over his head, “So needy.”

            David snarled, "I don’t want sass, just . . . just remind me, alright?”

            “Sure thing, brother.” Paul grinned while he stood up to get out of his jeans. He sucked his own fingers then reached back to prep himself.

            David panted while he watched, glancing up to where Dwayne and Marko were making out. He groaned and got his shirt off, “Fuck . . . “

            “That’s the- ah- the idea!” Paul groaned then climbed onto David and slowly impaled himself.

            David groaned softly then yelped indignantly when his ‘pillow’ got up off the futon, “Hey!”

            “Shush, open up.” Dwayne tilted David’s head back and David had maybe a moment to wonder how Dwayne managed to get his clothes off so fast before his mouth was filled with uncut cock. He moaned around the length, glancing around it to see Dwayne and Paul kissing above him. David was about to blow his wad when he heard Marko behind Dwayne. The smaller blonde was fucking Dwayne from behind so that on the upstroke, Dwayne’s cock drove down into David’s mouth. David arched his back and came into Paul, it was like a chain reaction after that of pretty much everyone coming.

            All four collapsed in exhaustion on the decidedly uncomfortable futon.

            “Alright, so it won’t be so bad if we get a fucking King-size.” David muttered, reaching down to stroke Dwayne’s long black hair, “Anyone got a cigarette?”


	2. Safe House

             David glared out the window of Max’s stupid car, he’d been shoved into the backseat with Sam and _two_ dogs! He had completely forgotten that they just _couldn’t_ leave Sam’s stupid dog, Nanook, behind! Heaven forbid!

            David grumbled as the damn dogs shifted again so that he had even _less_ room than before,

            “Dad, can I smoke?” He called to the front.

            “No.” Max replied.

            “Why?”

            “Because I said so.” Max snapped, “Be good and just shut up, alright, David? Now is really not the time for this.”

            David glared out the window and was about to snap something that would earn him some form of punishment when Lucy beat him to the punch,

            “Max, just let him have a cigarette, it’s been a long few days for all of us.”

            David blinked in surprise at her then was even more stunned when Max huffed and reached a hand back, a pack of cigarettes clutched in it. David took the smokes and just stared at them in stunned confusion.

            “You can have _one_ , David, understand?”

            “Y-Yeah, just one.” David quickly tapped a cigarette out, shoved it into his mouth and whipped out his lighter.

            “Out the window.” Max snapped, the trip was really starting to wear on the old man.

            “Right, right.” David mumbled around the fag and quickly rolled down the window, making sure to blow the smoke out the window, but with it open he could hear the four bikes right behind the car better and that pissed him off.

            “So . . . how much longer?” Sam asked, running his fingers through Nanook’s thick fur.

            “At least another night, Sammy, it’s a pretty fair distance to where we’re staying.” Lucy called, looking down at the map in her hands.

            “Oh, okay.” Sam glanced over at David who was still a little stunned by Lucy sticking up for him, “Hey, uh, wanna play a game?”

            David blinked and looked slowly over at Sam, “What?”

            “A game, you know, to pass the time?” Sam smiled encouragingly.

            “How about ‘who has a worse fashion sense than Sam’?” David snarked, shaking his head, and turning to look back out the window.

            “David, be nice, alright?” Lucy turned in her seat, “Just play something with Sam, it’ll take your mind off things.”

            David turned a cynical eyebrow tilt in her direction but rolled his eyes and turned to look at Sam, “Alright, shortstop, what do you want to play?”

            “Well, normally I’d want to see who can count the most cars of a color, but it’s late so no one’s out here. What do you like to play?” Sam leaned over Nanook to give Thorn’s ears a scratch.

            “You serious? Okay, I like to play ‘the quiet game’, whoever keeps their trap shut the longest wins.” David rolled his eyes again and puffed a line of smoke out the window.

            “C’mon, that stopped working on me when I was, like, eight. You play games, don’t you, David?” Sam shifted in his seat and leaned even farther over the dogs to that he was practically putting his chin on David’s shoulder, “C’mon!”

            “ . . . I don’t know any games.” David snapped, flicking the cigarette butt out the window and rolling it up. He propped his feet up on the back of Max’s seat and slouched down into his seat moodily.

            “None? How about ‘I spy’?” Sam suggested, nudging the dogs over to where he was sitting so he could sit next to David.

            David sighed, “Fine, I _do_ know that one.”

            “Oh, good! Okay, I’ll start, I spy with my little eye, something yellow.” Sam beamed at David, which made the older vampire’s hackles rise a little in irritation.

            “Lucy’s cardigan.” David said immediately, “Try something _not_ so obvious.”

            “Well, it’s your turn now, smart ass.” Sam crossed his arms and mimicked David’s slouch.

            “Alright, I spy with my little eye . . . something green.” David looked out the window.

            “Okay, so is it in the car.”

            “Yes.” David huffed and let his forehead press into the window.

            “Is iiiiiiiit-“

            This game lasted a total of twelve minutes before David finally growled out that he didn’t want to play anymore because what the fuck was the point of it anyway? Sam flinched back from David’s outburst then nodded slowly and sat quietly for a few moments, listening to Max and Lucy talking about something before turning to the older vampire,

            “David?”

            “ _What_?” David growled, not even caring at this point if the kid didn’t like his tone.

            “You . . . _really_ don’t like us, do you?” He whispered, peeking over at David nervously.

            David looked at the kid and huffed, “ . . . no.”

            “Why? I thought we would be a family and all that after we were turned . . . it’s kind of nice having all these brothers and a Dad that doesn’t cheat on Mom or fight . . . “ Sam fidgeted and Nanook put his big head on the boy’s lap so Sam could pay attention to him again.

            David glared out the window then closed his eyes and sighed, “It isn’t that simple.”

            “Why not? Family works together to fix things, right? So, we can work this out, can’t we? We’re brothers, aren’t we, David?” Sam turned and leaned on David, his forehead coming to rest on David’s jaw.

            David stiffened for a minute then looked down at the little guy, he reminded him of Laddie a bit, naw, more like Marko with that horribly tacky jacket the blonde vampire always wore. David sighed slowly and shifted so that he could get an arm around Sam and pull him to his chest,

            “Just . . . just shut up, okay?”

            “Okay. Wanna play the quiet game, then?” Sam asked smiling slightly.

            David snorted and smirked a little, “Yeah, alright. Go.”

* * *

            They piled into the hotel room several hours later, it was the largest they could get at this time of night, the receptionist gave them a funny look as a bunch of young men laughed and jostled about in the lobby while Lucy and Max paid for the room.

            Marko leaped into the room and hurried to climb onto one of the bed, “Dibs!”

            “You can’t call dibs, it’s my turn for dibs!” Paul complained.

            “Hey, I had to sleep on the floor last time!” Sam ran over and climbed up next to Marko, “We get dibs!”

            “Not if I have anything to say about it!” Michael barreled into the smaller vampires, landing them flat on the bed, all three laughing.

            “Alright, boys, settle down.” Max called tiredly, “We have two hours before sunrise, that means dinner, showers and bed.”

            There was general groaning and counter-arguments to the schedule but Max was having none of it,

            “Did I stutter?”

            “No, sir.” They all grumbled.

            “Alright, Marko and Sam already called the bed, Michael and Dwayne can have the couch-bed this time, and Paul gets a sleeping bag.”

            Paul whined loudly about having a sore ass from riding his bike all night but was cut off by a stern look from Max.

            “You can sleep with us, Paul,” Sam suggested, “Me and Marko don’t take up all that much room.”

            “Yeah.” Marko nodded enthusiastically.

            Paul whooped and collapsed on the bed with the two smaller vampires.

            David blinked, “So . . . I have the sleeping bag then.” He deflated at the idea of being demoted to the floor.

            “No, you’ll be with your mother and me.” Max said as he undid his shirt.

            David blinked and opened his mouth to protest then closed it, “I get the shower first.”

            “Double up, don’t want to use up all the hot water, alright? That means ten minutes and _no_ goofing off while in there, boys.” Max waved vaguely around, “Pick someone. Then somebody go out to the car and get the cooler so we can eat.”

            Marko and Sam quickly volunteered for the cooler and Dwayne volunteered to shower with David.

* * *

            In the steamy shower David let his head fall back on the tile, “Thank the gods it was you, your lack of conversational skills is definitely my favorite thing about you, Dwayne.”   

            “Then you’re going to hate why I volunteered.” Dwayne shampooed his hair then reached up to do the same to David’s hair.

            David cursed softly then sighed resignedly, letting Dwayne massage his scalp, “Fine, what do you want?”

            “How’d the car ride go?” Dwayne asked softly, he knew they wouldn’t be heard above the water.

            “Fine.”

            “You didn’t kill the half-pint so it must have been okay.” Dwayne pressed even though he hadn’t asked a question.

            “It was _fine_ Dwayne, alright? Just drop it.” David pulled back to rinse his hair out.

            “You don’t like admitting when you’re wrong, do you?” Dwayne grabbed a washcloth and started to get it soapy.

            “I wasn’t wrong about anything.” David snapped.

            “Everyone could smell Sam on you, dipshit, don’t deny it, alright?” Dwayne rolled his eyes.

            “He kind of just leaned on me! We were sardined in the back with the smelly mutts!” David glared at Dwayne while he finished washing up.

            “You don’t have to be a total prick about all of this,” Dwayne said, his voice ever level and calm, “We all _get it_ so knock it off! There’s a reason Max made you go in the car, you know. Same reason he’s making you bunk with him and Lucy.”

            David glared at the dark-haired vampire and quickly exited the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and glaring at the misted over mirror, it wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t, hadn’t seen his own reflection in years.

            “And avoiding me is really mature too.”

            “Dammit, Dwayne I don’t remember you saying this many things in all the ten years I’ve known you.” David put his hands down on the bathroom counter.

            “I know, it’s wigging me out too.” Dwayne turned off the water and grabbed another towel, ruffling his own hair to dry it.

            David sighed and shook his head, “I’m the _only_ one that isn’t okay with this arrangement, aren’t I?”

            “Pretty much.” Dwayne shrugged and finished drying off before hanging up the towel and leaving the bathroom, to a chorus of various wolf-whistles and cat-calls at his state of undress, “Oh knock it off!”

            David lingered for a bit, dried off then followed after Dwayne, tugging on some sweats and collapsing on the couch-bed next to Michael,

            “So . . . we’re cool then? I mean, I didn’t kill Sam or anything on the way down so . . . yeah.”

            Michael looked at him over his book and nodded, “Yeah, we’re cool I guess.”

            Paul plopped down next to David, “You’re hair’s a fucking mess, Davey.”

            David scrunched his nose up and glared over his shoulder, “Then do something about it, if it bothers you so much!”

            Paul smirked, pulled out a comb and proceeded to run it through David’s soft hair. Within seconds the older male was practically purring at the feeling of his hair being played with, his toes curling happily at the attention and rolling over to grab Paul and pull him into a heated kiss.

            Then something hit him in the head. David growled and looked around until he located Gideon’s Bible on the floor,

            “Seriously?” He glared at Max.

            “Not tonight, boys, alright? Eat and sleep.” Max went back to reading something while Lucy watched something on the television, her head on Max’s shoulder.

            David huffed and went to the cooler, flipped it open and groaned, “Bagged blood, really? Come on, I could go out and hunt and be back before the sun even comes up!” David moved in front of the television and crossed his arms.

            “David, I’m not risking any of you being out in unfamiliar territory. Either drink what I brought or go without.” Max looked pointedly at the blonde then went back to reading.

            “Gods you are such an a-“

            “David, you finish that sentence and I will make you sleep in the trunk of the car.”

            David snapped his mouth shut and grabbed a random bag, ripped it open and sat down on the couch-bed to drink it sulkily.

            “That’s my good boy.” Max smiled at him then kept reading, “Marko, Sam, your turn for the shower.”

* * *

            David shifted his weight a little uncomfortably as he laid between Lucy and Max, he didn’t mind sleeping with his sire but having his sire’s mate in the bed too was a little . . . intimidating. He swallowed and would have just climbed out of bed and either tried to fit on the bed with Michael and Dwayne or hit the floor, but then Lucy shifted in her sleep and put an arm across David’s chest.

            At first David thought she was mistaking him for Max but then she leaned forward and took a slow sniff of his still-damp hair,

            “David, hush, we’re trying to sleep, sweetie.”

            David grimaced at the pet-name and opened his mouth to say what she could do with it then Max rolled over,

            “David has always been a fussy boy. Trouble falling asleep, little one?”

            David was about to say yes and beg to not stay here but Max just smiled and nudged him down on the bed,

            “Well, we figured out what quiets you, didn’t we, David? Such a good boy, needs something to keep his rampant mouth busy with, don’t you, David?”

            David blinked as his head was nudged farther and farther down until he was eye-level with Max’s cock as it strained against the god-awful striped pajamas the vampire wore. David sighed and pulled the bottoms down, releasing Max. He opened his mouth and gave the head a kittenish lick, Max hissed his approval and tangled his fingers in David’s mullet,

            “There see? He’ll settle right down.”

            Lucy scooted closer to Max and reached down to stroke David’s cheek while the blonde lowered his mouth down on Max’s cock,

            “I don’t know how you’ve kept such a wild boy under control for so long.”

            “I haven’t, David is as unbroken today as he was fifty years ago when I scraped him out of a gutter in New York. The brat is as brash and snarky as all get-out, but what he craves is affection and attention and that’s how I get him to behave. He knows it too, don’t you, sweetling?”

            David couldn’t answer, as his mouth was full, in response he slid a hand down to cup Max’s heavy balls, rolling his thumb over them gently and giving them a squeeze. It didn’t take as long as you’d think and soon David was smacking his lips in mild disgust and then climbing back up to the head of the bed. Max smiled and pulled his boy against his chest, tugging the blankets back up over the three of them. David settled against his sire’s chest and was about to fall asleep when Lucy sidled up behind him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder and her nose nuzzled into the back of his head, David opened his mouth to object then swallowed and sighed, allowing the two vampires to nuzzle and cuddle him until he fell fast asleep.

* * *

            “Okay, my turn, I spy with my little eye something red.”

            “It’s the cardigan again.” David snorted, “You are really bad at this. Stop picking your mom’s wardrobe.”

            “Fine, your turn, smart ass!” Sam leaned back on David and pouted.

            David grinned and ruffled Sam’s hair, “Don’t pout, you’re too old for that to be cute. Alright, I spy with my little eye something blue.”

            “Is it in the car?” Sam straightened up and leaned over the middle of the front seat to peer about.

            “Yes.”

            “Okay is iiiiiiiit small?” Sam leaned over farther, almost toppling forward when they hit a bump.

            “Sam, honey, sit back before you hit your nose on something.” Lucy admonished.

            “Right, right, but answer the question.” Sam sat back, getting comfy against David’s chest again.

            “Yes, it is small.”

            “Smaller than a bread box?”

            “This isn’t twenty questions, Sammy, either guess or give up.” David rolled his eyes.

            “Oh, wait, wait, I got it! Is it the ash tray?” Sam grinned triumphantly.

            David sighed, “No, you lose again.”

            “Oh c’mon! What was it then?” Sam turned in the seat to look around again.

            “My eyes.” David muttered.

            Sam blinked then peered into David’s eyes, “Oh, yeah . . . they are like, _super_ blue . . . “

            David blinked at how close Sam was to him, “Uh, yeah. Thanks, I think.”

            “No, I mean like, ice blue or electric blue! They’re really pretty to look at!” Sam smile widened and he leaned even closer until he and David were nose-to-nose.

            “Again, thanks, I think.” David leaned his head back but Sam just moved closer until he moved a bit too close and their lips met.

            David fought it for about a second then thought well, what the hell, and let Sam kiss him. It was a quick, chaste kiss and the youngster sat back quickly, red-faced and smiling a little bit. He fidgeted then moved to snuggle into David’s side, his head resting on the blonde’s pectoral and he sighed happily, a big smile plastered on his face.

            David swallowed then smiled a little and let his arm wrap around Sam’s shoulders and squeezed him lightly. He leaned his head back then scowled when he caught Max smirking into the rearview mirror at him, he flipped Max off and looked out the window, but he didn’t let go of Sam.

* * *

            “Hey, so, when do I get to fly?” Sam asked as he hovered a few inches off the ground.

            Lucy reached over and pulled him back down to terra firma, “When we think you’re experienced enough, Max said he didn’t even let the older boys fly about until they’d fully mastered the skill.”

            “That’s right, nibblet,” Paul grinned and floated up into the air, drifting to be right over him, “Daddy kept us on a real tight leash, didn’t want us flying off into the strato and dying.”

            “And I also remember saying no flying indoors, Paul, get down, please.” Max tilted his head at Paul with the look of a Father reprimanding a naughty child.

            Paul laughed and landed neatly, holding his hands out on either side of him as if to say ‘tada!’. Sam grinned widely and ran upstairs to find a room with Nanook right behind him.

            David sat back in the armchair that was still covered in a sheet, “So how long are we going to be here?”

            “A month or so, maybe longer, maybe shorter depending on how serious the threat is.” Max and Lucy pulled the sheet off the old sofa and folded it.

            “Oh.” David sighed heavily, “This place even have a record player?”

            “In the den, sweetling, go take a look.” Max gestured, “I’m more than certain your younger brothers packed some vinyl.”

            “Good because you said there wasn’t room for my stereo.” David muttered and hurried to the next room where Michael was already taking out a Foreigner record, “Oh, no, we are not listening to that garbage, please tell me you brought something harder.”

            Michael blinked, “There’s nothing wrong with Foreigner!”

            “Sure if you like soft-rock, come on, Black Sabbath is in here somewhere, isn’t it?” David started digging through the records only to throw his hands up in frustration, “Jesus, seriously? You guys listen to this shit? Boston, Kansas, Foreigner, Eagles, and not a single record by Aerosmith or the Stones even? What gives?”

            “Dude, just because we don’t listen to your style of music-“ Michael started.

            “Know what, forget it.” David turned and stalked off.

            “What’s eating him?” Sam asked as he settled down on the window seat.

            “He’s just throwing a tantrum because we don’t like his kind of music.” Michael waved his hand dismissively and sighed, “It’s going to be a long few weeks if our step-dad thinks he can keep David out of trouble and in the house.”

            “He’s not so bad, really, just kind of cranky sometimes.” Sam shrugged and looked up at the ceiling, “You think Edgar and Allen are okay?”

            “I don’t really care if those two psychopaths are okay, to be honest. It’s their fault we had to skip town.” Michael muttered.

            Sam blinked and got up, moving to hug his brother tightly from behind, “You still sore about Star?”

            Michael sighed and ran his fingers over Sam’s skinny, pale arm, “No . . . not as much as I thought I would be, anyway. She chose to leave and I guess since Max didn’t give the order to run her down, I’m not so upset about it. You okay?”

            “Yeah, I’m fine, really. I used to think being a vampire would be awful, but . . . its okay.” Sam scooted around to Michael’s front, “One big happy family, right?”

            Michael leaned down and pressed his lips to Sam’s forehead, “Right.”

* * *

            “Dibs! Dibs! So much dibs!” Sam called, running toward the back bedroom, “Aw, man, come on!”

            “I was here first, squirt, beat it.” David didn’t even look over the magazine he was perusing, slipping his cigarette back into his mouth.

            “Dad said no smoking in the house.” Sam pointed out.

            David looked around the side of the magazine and snorted, he was sprawled out on his back on the bed, it hadn’t been made yet and all the furniture was still covered.

            “Come on, David, I called dibs!” Sam whined, putting his suitcase down.

            “And I said I was here first, you can’t call dibs if you weren’t here first! I‘s the rule of dibs.” David muttered, licking his thumb and turning the page.

            “Well, we could share maybe?” Sam tried, scuffing his toe on the carpet.

            David growled and got up, throwing down the magazine and stomping in his bare feet to the door, he looked down at Sam and scowled, “The only ones I’m sharing a room with are Marko, Paul, or Dwayne, now if you will notice you are not any of them so beat it!”

            Sam pouted and turned to leave, dragging his feet as he went in the most pitiful example of rejection that David had ever had the displeasure of witnessing. He went back into the room and flopped down on his stomach on the bed, glaring angrily at the shuttered windows.

* * *

            Dwayne looked up when Sam slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, Dwayne flicked his ponytail over his shoulder and put the dishes he’d been washing aside,

            “What’s up, pup?”

            “David won’t share the room I really wanted. I scoped it out and everything! It’s got a window seat and lots of space for books and it has _rafters_ , Dwayne! It’s so cool!”

            “Uh-huh, yeah, David doesn’t normally share his stuff, once it's his anyway.” Dwayne tilted his head, “Why don’t you offer him something he’d want? Kind of a trade or peace offering or something.”

            “But, what would he want?” Sam scratched his head in thought.

            “Get him some music records or a stereo.” Paul offered, waltzing in and opening the fridge, “Ugh, does Dad really expect us to live off of bagged blood for a month plus?”

            “Records? Hmm, okay, I can do that!” Sam grinned widely at the prospect.

            “Alright, I’ll take you on my bike, there’s nothing here to eat anyway.” Paul smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the same musical tastes as David, I would probably not mind listening to Kansas or The Eagles for a month but I draw the line at Boston and Foreigner, nope. I might even be persuaded to allow the Beatles or Billy Joel, heck I'd even be happy with Bob Seger, but other than that, heavy metal and rock 'n' roll all the way!


	3. Temper, Temper

             “So, what does he like?” Sam asked as he flipped through the records on display.

            “Anything that’s loud and makes Max grit his teeth.” Paul leaned over Sam and grinned, “Here ya go, he really liked that album.”

            “’Iron Maiden’? Well, it’s on sale so okay!” Sam clutched the record and hurried to the counter.

            A few minutes later they were back on Paul’s bike, Sam pressed into the blonde’s back and grimaced,

            “Why do you guys like these things so much?” He yelled over the sound of the engine.

            “What things?” Paul asked over his shoulder.

            “The bikes! What’s so great about ‘em?” Sam called, he was not a fan of them, personally, way to easy to slip off and smack your noggin on asphalt.

            “Make lots of noise, really dangerous, and hey, they look awesome!” Paul whooped and gunned the engine, “We better get back, the old man will throw a fit if we’re out too long, especially after the jawing he gave David about ‘unfamiliar territory’!”

            “R-Right! You don’t think there are any, like Hunters or anything out here, do you?” Sam scooted closer to Paul, glancing nervously about the darkness that surrounded them.

            “I don’t think so, but I’ve never been in this part of the country so I wouldn’t know! Let’s just get back without incident, alright?”

            “Sounds good to me!”

* * *

            “Oh, there you two are, Dwayne said you went out for something.” Marko was perched up on the armrest of the couch, shooting at flies with rubberbands for some weird reason.

            “Peace offering to his great and terrible grumpiness.” Sam showed off the record he’d purchased.

            “Ah, yeah, that’s probably a good idea, he and Pop have had another fight.” Marko huffed, “We’ve only been here a few hours and Max is already remembering why he let us sleep in the cave.”

            “They’ll get over it, once we end up wherever we’re going to end up, everything will calm down. That and we can actually go hunting, you know how David gets when he’s cooped up anywhere.” Paul shrugged, flopping down next to Marko.

            “Well, I’m going to go up and try to negotiate with David, if you hear screaming, please come and rescue me.” Sam looked up at the ceiling nervously.

            “Sure thing, bud.” Paul saluted him then pulled Marko down into his lap, much to the smaller blonde’s chagrin.

            “Hey, knock it off!” Marko yelped, “No tickling!”

* * *

            Sam hesitantly went to the end of the hall and knocked on the door,

            “If you’re not here to deliver food then fuck off.”

            Sam flinched, “It’s me.”

            “Do you have food?”

            “Uh, no, I-“

            “Then proceed with the fucking off.” David snapped from the other side of the door.

            “I bought you something.” Sam said quickly, clutching the record.

            There was the sound of weight shifting, presumably off of the bed, and footsteps to the door, it opened slightly and Sam could just make out David in the sliver of light coming from the room,

            “What?”

            “I said I-“

            “No, I mean, what did you buy me?” David looked suspiciously at Sam.

            “Um, this.” Sam held the record out for David.

            David blinked and stared down at the cover-art for a few seconds then glanced up at Sam in a calculating way, “You got this for me?”

            “Uh-huh, kind of to um, you know, persuade you to let me share the room?” Sam fidgeted a little and looked up through his eyelashes at the blonde.

            David swallowed and nodded a little, “Yeah, uh, okay . . . “

            He stepped back so Sam could open the door fully and rush in with his bag. David wasn’t even listening to the little dork as he chattered away about something and he didn’t even notice the big husky that ran in and leaped onto the only bed. He just stood there, staring at the gift while moving back into the room. He set it down on a dresser and then huffed,

            “What are you doing?”

            Sam looked up, “Uh, making the bed?”

            “We have perfectly fine rafters we can sleep from.” David pointed up at the ceiling, “I already checked, they aren’t rotted through or anything.”

            Sam blinked and looked at the ceiling nervously, “Oh, uh, well, I’m kinda used to sleeping in a bed . . . “

            “Well, proper vampires sleep from a roost.” David’s eyebrow quirked.

            “Nobody’s done that this entire time!” Sam whined.

            “Well, duh, because there haven’t been areas with anywhere good to roost on, dummy.” David snorted and shook his head, “You gotta learn how eventually.”

            “What if I fall in the middle of the night? I could give myself a concussion or something!” Sam shook his head, “No, thanks, but I’ll-“

            “You’ll be fine, here, I’ll show you.” David turned and leaped up to the ceiling, his feet lengthened slightly and his claws dug into the wood, he looked down at Sam from where he was hanging, “There, see? Nothing to it.”

            “ . . . I don’t know.” Sam bit his lip nervously.

            “C’mon, I’ll help ya. Unless you’re too _scared_.” David grinned widely, letting his fangs drop and he licked one.

            “I’m not scared!” Sam glanced about, “How do I, uh, get up there?”

            “Just jump, I’ll catch you.” David let his hands swing down and dangled them above Sam's head.

            “Okay, okay, um, here goes!” Sam closed his eyes, put his hands up and sprang upwards.

            David grabbed onto Sam’s hands and pulled him up, flipping him over so that they were eye-to-eye, “You’re heavier than you look.”

            Sam swallowed and looked down, “Wow, I thought the blood would rush to me head!”

            “Heh, naw, doesn’t work that way with us. Okay now just put your feet on the beam, yeah, like that.”

            “How do I get my feet to do the thing like yours?” Sam tentatively extended his feet down toward the beam.

            “I actually have no idea.” David shrugged, “I just kinda do it.”

            “That really explains a lot, doofus.” Sam muttered.

            “Alright, I’m going to let go now, okay? You got a good grip?” David ignored being called a doofus and slowly started to let go of Sam.

            “Uh, I think so, okay . . . “ Sam chewed his lip as David let go of him and then smiled when he didn’t fall to the floor, “Hey! I’m doing it!”

            David chuckled, “Yeah, not bad, kiddo.”

            “What’s goin’ on in here?” Paul and Michael sauntered in and looked up.

            “David showed me how to hang from the ceiling!” Sam waved down to them, his horribly bright colored shirt was hanging around his armpits exposing his belly and narrow chest.

            “Cool beans!” Paul leaped up and swung his feet around so he could hang next to David, “C’mon, Mike!”

            Michael kicked off his sneakers and hopped up to join them, “Hehe this is even better than bunk beds!”

            It only took a few moments of laughing and the boys trying to knock each other down for Marko and Dwayne to hear them then rush to join.

            Sam curled over and grabbed the rafter he was hanging from to scamper across the beam; he started tickling Paul’s feet.

            “Hey! No fair!” Paul reached down and swatted at Sam until the smaller vampire had to hurry away or risk getting knocked off.

            “Boys? What’s going on in here?” Lucy walked in and looked around in confusion.

            “Mom, up here!” Michael called, waving down at her.

            “Oh! Jeez, you scared me!” She laughed and shook her head, “Are you all planning on sleeping up there?”

            They all looked at each other then looked at David and Sam, David sighed heavily and shrugged,

            “It sucks sleeping alone so I don’t care. Sam?”

            “Ah, yeah! Awesome!” He hopped down in front Lucy, smiling widely.

            Lucy smiled back at him and ruffled his hair, “Alright, I’ll let your father know.”

* * *

            That night the boys were all hanging from the rafters in Sam and David’s room, David glanced around uneasily, sure he really liked being able to hang for sleeping again, but the last time they’d let their guard down, Marko almost got staked by those fucking Frog brothers. Needless to say he wasn’t ready to let that happen again. Ever.

            “Hey.”

            David turned and looked down at Marko, he smiled a little, “Hey yourself.”

            “Trouble sleeping?”

            David shrugged, “Just don’t like being in new places. You?”

            Marko sighed, reaching up to scratch his head, “Feels good for us all to at least hang together.”

            David closed his eyes, “I dunno, baby bat, feels kind of . . . itchy, like a new pair of jeans or something.” He opened his eyes when Marko brushed his fingers over David’s jawline, “Hm?”

            “I miss home too, David.”

            David smiled softly and sighed, “C’mere.”

            Marko carefully moved around the beams and sidled up to be right in front of David and smiled, moving his hands over David’s bare chest, “It’s going to be okay, David, Pop knows what he’s doing and he’s going to make sure we’re safe. Don’t worry.”

            David reached over and pulled Marko against himself, lifting the smaller vampire into his arms, feeling Marko’s slim legs wrapping around his hips, claws latching into his sweatpants.

            “I know, baby bat, ‘just having trouble adjusting’, as Dad would say.” David murmured, tucking his face into Marko’s neck while the curly-headed vampire hugged him.

            “I know. Just try and fall asleep okay?”

            David nodded and closed his eyes.

* * *

            “Soooooo can we go out?” Sam asked, hopping up to perch on the arm of Max’s chair.

            “Where to?” Max asked, an eyebrow raised at his youngest childe.

            “You know ‘out’, just like to town or something.” Sam shrugged and pouted, “We’d promise to be back before sunrise. Honest!”

            “You sure about this?” Paul hissed from where all the older boys were watching from the other room.

            “Absolutely,” David muttered, “Dad melts for Sammy, all he has to do is put on the puppy-dog eyes and boom, we get to have a night on the town before we completely go bananas in here.”

            “I dunno, guys, using Sam to get to Dad just so we can goof off doesn’t feel right.” Michael mumbled.

            “Dude, will you listen to yourself, we’re _vampires_ , we aren’t supposed to be good little angels!” David growled, looking back to see Sam’s progress.

            “Well, I don’t see why not as long as you-“

            The older boys whooped and piled into the room, cutting Max off. Paul lifted Sam up onto his shoulder and they all ran out the door.

            “-behave.” Max sighed heavily and sat back down.

            Lucy popped her head in just as the roars of the boys’ bikes went down the road, “What was that all about?”

            “I think I just released the hounds of war.” Max took his glasses off to polish them, “They just went out for some carousing, Lucy, my dear, don’t worry.”

            “I hope so, we’re really on thin ice as it is.” Lucy sat next to Max and took his hand, smiling, “They all seem to get along now.”

            Max smiled and stroked the back of her fingers with his, looking at the two dogs dozing at his feet, “Yes, I think it just took some time and for David to give the go-ahead. The other boys look up to him.”

            “He’s a natural leader.” Lucy nodded.

            “Sometimes that’s a bad thing when it comes to that boy.”  Max chuckled.

* * *

            “First stop, Chinese food!” David yelled behind him.

            The others yelled and feinted around each other on the mostly empty highway. Sam was with Paul while Michael rode bitch with Marko, mainly because David was not about to let someone else drive his bike again and he wasn’t going to share this time.

            They all piled into the lobby of the nearest Chinese joint, grabbing a table and reading the menus loudly to each other, with extra commentary on each item. David grinned widely as they carried on enough for other customers to give them dirty looks, it felt just like they were home again getting kicked out of businesses and off the boardwalk. 

* * *

            They found some kind of plaza where a carnival of sorts was being held with booths, games and some rides. Clearly this was the perfect place to kill several . . . hours. The boys stalked down the midway like a pack of predatory cats, beautiful and graceful but vicious and intimidating all at once. Well, the older boys did for maybe ten seconds, then Paul and Marko ran right over to the Skeeball games and Sam ran around looking for the cotton candy booth with Michael on his tail while Dwayne slunk off to see what the knife and gun booths had to offer.

            David sighed and he wandered around to glance at the various people that ran about, he was hungry . . . the Chinese food they’d had was fine but he needed blood. _Real_ blood, not that shit that Max kept in the fridge in bags. He wanted fresh meat! There were so many tasty necks just waiting for him to tear them apart and drink from them.

            David’s gums itched with the effort to keep his fangs in check. He was so distracted that he didn’t notice where he was going until-

            “Oof!” David fell back on his ass, hopping up quickly and his lip curled back in a snarl when he saw that he’d run into some punk hanging around a beer shack.

            “Hey, blondie, watch where you’re going.” The asshole glared down at David, who was at least half a foot shorter than him.

            “Maybe if you didn’t take up half the midway I wouldn’t run into your fat ass!” David snapped, he was literally aching for a fight and this looked like just the asshole to give one.

            “What did you say, you little punk?” The meathead grabbed the lapel of David’s jacket and pulled him in close.

            “You heard me, tubby.” David snarled.

            “Why you little-“

            “Is there a problem, brother?”

            Meathead stopped mid-swing to look up and see the entire Family, Sam was picking pieces of cotton candy out of a bag and stuffing it into his mouth and Marko was toting an oversized stuffed bear he must have won.

            “The fuck are you jerks supposed to be?” Meathead growled, lifting David easily off his feet and slinging him to the ground in front of the boys.

            David caught himself and managed to pop up on his feet before any part of him touched the dirt,

            “Meathead, meet my little brothers, brothers, meet Meathead, the asshole that was about to break your big brother’s nose.” David huffed, adjusting his jacket, “What say we teach him a lesson?”

            “You and your pack of pretty boys think you can take me and my gang on?” Meathead glared down his nose at David as three other Meatheads turned around to stand next to Meathead Number One.

            “Yeah!” Sam bunched up the empty cotton candy bag and chucked in into a trashbin.

            Everyone looked at him and the youngest of the group blushed,

            “Well . . . we are, aren’t we?”

            “Right, sic ‘em boys.” David leaped forward with his coven right behind him.

* * *

            “Hey, you okay?” Michael put a hand on Sam’s shoulder as they made their way back to the bikes several minutes later.

            “Yeah, I’m okay, just a black eye.” Sam grinned widely.

            “Mom is going to kill us for letting you in on that fight.” Paul sighed as he mounted his bike and helped Sam on behind him.

            “How’s the bear, Marko?” Michael asked as he got on with Dwayne.

            Marko smiled widely, “He’s good, tucked him away in a booth when the fight started! How’d you make out, David?”

            David grunted, “One of my teeth got knocked out, but I’m good otherwise.”

            “Aw man, really? You gonna be okay?” Sam leaned over, wrapping his arms around Paul’s neck.

            “I’m fine, Sammy, really.” David muttered, “I just hope Dad doesn’t see this as a reason to cut privileges.”

            “Shit, that’s right!” Paul groaned, “We were supposed to keep our cool!”

            “Well, it wasn’t David’s fault right? I mean, you didn’t start that fight, David.” Michael leaned into Dwayne.

            David didn’t answer.

            “David?” Marko tilted his head to the side.

            David revved his bike and drove off.

* * *

            “What were you thinking?” Max put his hands out at his sides emphatically, “Is this all some kind of game to you? I give you permission to go out for the night and you get in a fight right off the bat? What part of ‘laying low’ was difficult for you to understand?”

            David blinked slowly and sighed, “I didn’t mean to.”

            “I find _that_ very hard to believe, David. Try again.” Max snarled, a hint of fang showing as his lip curled back.

            “I-I was just thinking while I walked and I bumped right into this huge asshole, honest! He started threatening me, the boys showed up, we gave them the what-for and then we came straight home! Nobody dropped fang, we just got in a fight.” David explained, “And it wasn’t my fault!”

            “I thought you had more control than that!” Max snapped, “Clearly I can’t trust you to leave the house again without a chaperone.”

            “What?” David’s mouth dropped open, “But I was with the boys!”

            “Well that wasn’t enough to curb your attitude, clearly! I don’t understand what has gotten into you lately, David, but it is very clear that letting you have the amount of freedom you had in Santa Carla was a mistake!” Max shouted over any of David’s arguments.

            “That’s not fair!”

            “What is fair then, David? Letting you jeopardize the entire family? There are more of us now then there were in Santa Carla, more mouths to feed and more to keep safe, I feel like a broken record for how many times I've said this! We can’t afford for any unwanted attention on us!”

            “What are you saying?” David took a step back.

            “I’m saying that having a family this large is a great deal of responsibility and stress. I’m saying that you need to fucking _grow up_! This isn’t a game anymore, David, this is our lives on the line and you need to see it for what it is! Going out and getting in fights or doing who knows what else is no longer an option!” Max took a step toward David, grabbing his arm, “You’re putting everyone in danger!”

            “I-I didn’t-“

            “Didn’t what, David? Didn’t think? You certainly have never shown any particular skill in that department so that shouldn’t surprise me.” Max let him go and turned around, taking off his glasses and scrubbing at his face with his free hand,

            “We . . . we were just letting off some steam, Daddy, just having a bit of fun. Nobody got killed, a little banged-up but . . . but I didn’t kill anyone.” David bit his lip, “I mean, I wasn’t the only one that got in the fight-“

            “No but I thought you would have been mature enough to just walk away.” Max snapped over his shoulder.

            “I-I couldn’t back down, Dad! That-That’s like admitting weakness and they’re _human_! They’re beneath us, they’re _food_!” David defended angrily.

            “Yes, they’re food, David, cattle for us to devour.” Max turned back around and replaced his spectacles, “But you’re changing the subject, the point is that you had an opportunity to walk away and not cause trouble and you chose to disregard logic and sound judgment to instead pick a fight with a pack of mangy humans.”

            “ . . . “ David looked away angrily.

            “You need to either start acting more like a leader and like our situation is as dire as it is or you will be on my watch, am I understood?”

            David blinked and his head snapped up, “What?”

            “Am I understood, David?” Max gritted out between clenched teeth.

            “You’re gonna demote me?” David’s mouth dropped open, he couldn’t believe this!

            “If I see that you’re unfit to lead, yes, you will be ‘demoted’. No more bike, no more partying, no more hunting alone. I believe this is what mortals call being ‘grounded’.”

            “You can’t do that!” David howled, feeling his modicum of control slipping, and he used to be so good at keeping his cool . . .

            “Yes, I _can_ , David, and I will if you keep pushing my limits! You are _not_ the center of the universe, you are a spoiled, cocksure brat that I should never have taken in!”

            David flinched like he’d been struck and just stared wide-eyed at Max while the older man continued his tirade.

            “None of your brothers give me this kind of trouble, David, you are the reason we had to leave Santa Carla at all! You and your vengeful feeding, goading the authorities, and slaughtering foolish teenagers! I swear if you weren’t one of my sons I would have staked you myself and saved us a load of trouble!”

            David backed away until his feet slipped out from under him, landing him on his ass and he scuttled back in terror into a corner, as far from Max as he could get.

            “And now that we might, _might_ just have a chance at survival, you once more draw attention to yourself in a public place! You might as well have dropped fang and slaughtered the lot of them and something tells me that if I hadn’t caught you sneaking in with your siblings, you’d take off the next night, seek out the humans, and kill them all anyway! This is entirely your fault, you stupid, egotistical _child_!”

            Max heaved each breath after his speech like a winded bull as he glared down at David with full-vamp face on, watching the blonde cower in fear and feeling a sick satisfaction from this submission. Max went back to his armchair and sat down,

            “Oh, get off the floor, you idiot.” He growled, not even looking at David now.

            David trembled as he slowly shifted onto his knees and just stared at Max,

            “You . . . you would _stake_ me?”

            Max let out a long-suffering sigh and rubbed his forehead, “David . . . “

            “You regret even _turning_ me?”

            “David . . . just don’t.”

            David slowly got to his feet, “ . . . I thought you’d be proud of me.”

            “I was once, but that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?” Max muttered, “Get out of my sight.”

            David couldn’t even find the energy to run and Max had the keys to his bike so he went outside and found a shed, he kicked open the door and sat on the floor, huddling in a corner and for once not caring if he got any dirt on his jacket. He stared at the wall while Max’s words echoed in his head, making it ache and his eyes stung but tears wouldn’t come, he was beyond tears and beyond feeling anything but emptiness and rejection.

* * *

             Sam and the others watched from the bedroom window as David went out to the shed and didn’t come back out,

            “He isn’t going to . . . ?” Sam looked worriedly at the others.

            “I don’t know.” Paul murmured, “Dad said some pretty heavy stuff.”

            “He wouldn’t!” Marko’s eyes widened and he hugged his bear tighter then bit his lip, “Would he?”

            “No, David’s tougher than that.” Michael shook his head, “He just needs some time to cool off.”

            “ . . . should one of us go get him?” Sam asked softly.

            “Mom’s already got it covered.” Dwayne pointed out the window and sure enough, Lucy was going out to the shed.

* * *

            David looked up slowly when Lucy closed the door behind her,

            “Seems like this is a regular thing with you; you get upset or angry and storm off then someone goes and talks to you then you're all cuddles and smirks for a while before you explode again.” She sat down next to him and sighed, “Max . . . said a lot of things that I know he didn’t mean, David.”

            David hugged his knees tighter and pressed his forehead deeper into the pillow his arms made for it.

            “You know he loves you and he would protect you if something ever went wrong, he’s just under a lot of strain with us being on the run and well, this wasn’t something he wanted to hear.”

            “Why is it always me?” David mumbled, not picking his head up.

            “Because you’re the eldest and he expects you to be the role model and protector of the younger boys. He isn’t stupid, David, he knows potential when he sees it and while I’m not excusing any of the things he said to you, I’m just trying to get you to come back in the house with your family where you belong.” She reached out and put her hand gently on the back of his head, stroking the blonde locks.

            “I’m not ready to go back in . . . Mom.” David said softly.

            Lucy smiled and leaned over to kiss David’s temple, “When you’re ready the door will be unlocked, we’re not abandoning you just yet, David.”

            David nodded and watched Lucy leave out of the corner of his eye before he huffed and closed his eyes again. It would take more than just sending out Lucy and ‘I’m sorry’ to fix up this massive screw up, Daddy dearest.


	4. Give and Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David had his turn for a meltdown, time to pass the baton.

            The sun was almost up by the time the door to the shed was pushed open again and Max walked in,

            “I’d have thought you’d be inside by now.”

            David stared at the wall, gripping his knees tightly and keeping his mouth tightly closed.

            “ . . . the sun will be up soon, David,” Max closed the door behind him and moved to squat in front of David, “You need to come in now.”

            David bit his lip to keep himself quiet, it was a real chore and he hated that Max always got him to do whatever the older vampire wanted.

            Max sighed and took his glasses off to scrub at his face, “Sweetling, please come inside? I’m very sorry for what I said earlier and I’m willing to make it up to you, but I hardly think a shed is the proper place.”

            David blinked and slowly made eye contact, “ . . . I love you.”

            Max smiled and reached out his hand, patting David’s cheek, “And I love you, sweet boy, even when you’re an insufferable and spoilt brat, but I suppose I was the one that spoiled you in the first place. Come along.”

            Max stood then helped David up, fussing over the blonde and patting the dirt off the seat of David’s pants before taking David’s hand and leading him back to the house.

* * *

            It was quiet, the dogs were dozing in the living room while the whole family was lounging on the floor or sofas, the television was playing some Western movie, and if felt like maybe things were going to be alright for once.

            David shifted his weight and Max tilted his book out of the way,

            “Uncomfortable?” He asked mildly, licking his thumb and turning the page.

            “No, just shifting.” David murmured, settling back against Max’s chest, his head resting snuggly on Max’s shoulder.

            “Good.” Max murmured, reaching up with his free hand to stroke David’s hair, “Boys, no reenactments in the living room, if you please.”

            Sam hopped back down to the floor from the ceiling and scuttled over to lean on his mother’s knees, “Mom?”

            “Hmm?” Lucy looked up from her crossword.

            “Do you think Edgar and Allen are looking for us?” Sam asked softly and the whole room tensed, Sam looked around in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

            “Sam,” Max nudged David onto the cushion next to him and put his book down, “Why do you ask about them?”

            Sam shrugged, tugging on a loose string on his shirt, “No reason, they _were_ my friends so I guess I just wondered about them.”

            “They tried to stake Marko.” Paul growled and pulled the smaller blonde tighter to his chest.

            “They’re not your friends anymore, Sammy.” Michael glared off to the side; “They were even bad news when we were human.”

            “Oh, come on, they weren’t that bad!” Sam shifted to kneel and pouted.

            “Drop it, Sam!” David snarled, feeling his hackles rising at the thought of those two bastards.

            “But, I-I miss them.” Sam pouted and stared at the ground, “It was nice having people my own age around!”

            “Sam, I know this transition to vampirism is a bit daunting and, while I would have liked to wait to turn you so you’d be older, it was necessary to do so. I’m sorry you miss your own friends but you’ll have to come to terms with the idea that they’ll try to harm, or even kill you, if given the chance,” Max put a hand on Sam’s head and stroked his hair, “You need to understand that your old life is over and your old friends are now potential enemies.”

            Sam quickly stood up, his eyes welling with tears, “Well, it might be okay for all of you, you’re mostly adults, but I’m a kid! I’m missing school and-and friends and-“

            “Puberty.” David muttered, rolling his eyes.

            Sam made a sound in the back of his throat like a snarl then ran upstairs.

            “Sam?” Lucy stood to follow but Max grabbed her arm, “He needs-“

            “A moment.” Max said gently, “They’re all like this, trust me, he’ll come around.”

            David snorted, “Unlikely.”

            “David.” Max snapped.

            Paul ran his fingers over Marko’s hair and focused on the TV again, “Don’t worry, Marko, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

            Marko snorted and looked up at Paul, “Alright, hot shot, your boner has me _very_ convinced.”

* * *

            Sam sat in his room, staring out the window while Nanook laid next to him, “I miss being a kid, Nanook, I mean, yeah, I’m technically a kid and I’ll never get older but . . . I’m not really a kid anymore, am I? I’m a vampire, I’ve drunk people-blood and I’ll be hunting real people soon . . . funny though, I don’t feel bad at all. Part of me thinks I should, that it’s wrong to like hurting people and that I should really not do stuff like that but . . . but part of me loves it! Like in the comics or movies, that part just _loves_ it . . . “

            Sam stretched out next to Nanook and wrapped his arms around the big husky,

            “It scares me, it’s like I’m turning into a monster . . . Like I’m not ‘Sam’ anymore.” He whispered.

* * *

            It was hours before anyone went upstairs, it was decided to stick to their own rooms and David was fine with that, he really didn’t want company. What he’d thought Max meant by ‘making it up to him’ and what it really meant were two completely different things. Max didn’t want intimacy with David tonight . . . maybe tomorrow he’d come around.

            David shoved the door open and there was that stupid dog with the baby of the family, they were both kind of asleep. The blonde grimaced and stalked past to get on something more comfortable to sleep in, Max had said to leave the rafters alone, that they were not meant for hanging from . . . the old man was such a stick in the mud!

            David had showered before coming up so he was just in a towel, which he soon discarded while he rooted around in his clothes for his sweatpants. It was then that he heard a snuffle from the corner, David turned and stared at Sam while the kid mumbled in his sleep, twitching with his eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenched so hard in the husky’s fur that Nanook eventually got up and padded out of the room. David stared and tilted his head at the kid, wondering what he was dreaming about, what could a vampire possibly have nightmares about? They were the masters of the shadows and darkness! They were the creatures that lurked on the other side of darkened windows and locked doors! Why was a vampire snuffling and writhing like this?

            The blonde moved closer and squatted down, poking Sam in the cheek with his finger,

            “Hey, wake up, stupid.” He snapped.

            Sam’s eyes flew open and he hissed defensively, dropping fang and scuttling backwards and away from David. David blinked and stared at Sam,

            “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

            Sam blinked several times and looked at David, then flung himself at the older vampire,

            “I-I was having a d-dream about the Frog brothers and the-they . . . “ Sam shook his head and buried his face into, “They killed all of you!”

            David cocked an eyebrow and sighed, he sat back with Sam in his lap and let his head read back on the bed, “Sam, I can promise you that those two morons would _not_ have been able to take out four grown vampires and Max besides. They were just kids.”

            “Yeah, but-“

            “No ‘buts’, they were just stupid fucking kids, alright? Repeat it.” David pointed a finger in Sam’s face.

            Sam chewed his lip, “Th-They were just stupid . . . _fucking_ kids.”

            “Good boy. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” David leaned back farther and grimaced, “Sam, you’re sitting right on my-“

            “Oh, s-sorry . . . wait, you’re naked!” Sam scooted back to sit on his ass on the floor, his eyes wide.

            David snorted, “Yeah, and?”

            “I- . . . uh, nothing.” Sam blushed a little and looked away.

            David smirked, leaning forward, “What’s wrong, Sammy? Don’t like what you see?”

            “Well . . . no, no I like it just fine, I just . . . wasn’t gay before becoming a vampire.”

            David blinked, “Uh, none of us are gay or anything, we’re _vampires_ so we like sex with anything on two legs really.”

            “Oh . . . I think I get it. So . . . it’s normal then?” Sam licked his lips, still not looking at David.

            “Of course, what do you think me and the others do to pass the time? Lots of sex.” David shrugged, “You wanna give it a go?”

            Sam’s eyes widened and he finally looked at David, “Wanna _what_?”

            “Sex, you wanna try? I can show you, if you’d like. Unless you’d rather Max be the first one to do you. That’s kind of traditional but well-“

            “Whoa, wait, _what_? _Max_? Really, he’d do that?” Sam blinked and then shifted forward a bit.

            David shrugged, “Well, yeah, we’ve all fucked around with Max. You could fuck with Michael if you wanted and none of us would think twice on it.”

            “I . . . I could?” Sam whispered, tugging on his lower lip with his fingers.

            “Yeah.” David blinked, “You alright?”

            “I-I just had these feelings for pretty much everyone but I didn’t think . . . well, that it was _normal_ . . . I thought if I tried to do anything I’d get in trouble or worse, kicked out.” Sam fidgeted miserably.

            David’s eyes widened, “No, Sam, that’s perfectly normal, we’ve all got the hots for each other, that’s how vampires work. We’re not just a family, we’re a _Family_ , capital ‘F’ and everything. We take care of each other’s needs and sometimes those are. No questions asked, no guilt, no problem. You got an itch, we’re more than happy to scratch it for you.”

            Sam licked his lips, “Gosh . . . I never even kissed a girl before I was turned . . . “

            David chuckled, “You never struck me as the kind to _like_ kissing girls.”

            Sam pouted indignantly, “Hey! I would have kissed a girl if she’d ask!”

            “Well, now you got a whole host of guys to kiss, what’re you gonna do about it?” David crossed his arms in amusement.

            Sam deflated, “I . . . have no idea.”

            “You wanna learn?” David leaned forward, his eyelids lowering slightly and he smirked.

            “ . . . yes.” Sam nodded and fidgeted.

            David smiled, he took Sam’s hands in his own and slowly lifted them, first kissing the left then the right, moving his lips over each knuckle; sometimes simply breathing or ghosting kisses on Sam’s skin and sometimes making contact. He could feel the younger vampire shiver and twitch and he turned Sam’s right hand over so it was palm-up, he slowly ran his tongue over the palm to the thumb, then he pulled the digit into his mouth and sucked at it, swirling his tongue lavishly over the blunt nail and pad. Sam took a sharp breath and bit his lip,

            “Th-That . . . oh! Uh . . . yeah.” He mumbled, his cheeks blushing with borrowed blood while his free hand shot down to clutch the crotch of his jeans, “Ngh!”

            David chuckled and released Sam’s thumb with a pop, “Oh, what’cha got down there? Something for me?”

            Sam wiggled a little and swallowed, “I-I . . . _David_ . . . “

            David smiled and wrapped his fingers around his own erect cock, “Wanna touch it?”

            Sam hesitantly reached out his hand, his index finger tentatively swiping up the droplet of precum oozing out of the head of David’s cock, he swallowed thickly as he smeared it over the smooth skin while David pulled back his foreskin. David groaned and breathed out slowly,

            “I think you’re wearing too much clothing.” He murmured.

            Sam shivered and slowly stood up, David followed suit and sat on the bed, watching Sam while he leisurely pumped his cock (he noted that someone had made up the bed). Sam visibly swallowed and started to undo his shirt, his pale, narrow chest soon bared for David. The blonde smiled as his eyes drank in the spectacle while Sam undid his belt and slowly let his pants slide down to his ankles.

            “Huh, briefs?” David grinned at Sam’s tighty-whities while they strained to contain Sam’s erection.

            “Shut up . . . “ Sam murmured, gnawing his lip while he hooked his thumbs in the waistband then nervously lowered his underwear down.

            David leaned back toward the pillows and motioned for Sam to join him, “You shave?”

            Sam’s blush intensified, “No!”

            “Oh. Looks like you do.” David shrugged while Sam sat on the edge of the bed, fidgeted and looking like he couldn’t decide what he should do with his hands, “Hey, you coming over here or what?”

            Sam glanced over his shoulder then nodded, “Y-Yeah, I’m comin’.”

            David watched the young vampire as he crawled onto the bed and laid down facing David, his eyes downcast and he kept chewing his lip. He seemed to be trying to ignore his and David’s erections and instead focus on the patch of chest hair on David’s sternum instead.

            “Sam, come _here_.” David gestured again for Sam to actually be touching him now.

            Sam startled and then swallowed, moving cautiously over to that he was lying on his side next to David, “What . . . what do I do?”

            David just smirked and slowly positioned Sam to that he was lying between David’s legs, “Use your mouth.”

            “I’ve never done this before!” Sam complained, staring at David’s cock as it twitched, thick and dark.

            “I know, I’m going to teach you. Won’t Max be impressed by you when he finally remembers to fully initiate you into the family?” David cooed, stroking Sam’s cheek with his fingers, “He’ll tell you what a good job you’re doing.”

            “ . . . will Max make Michael do this too?” Sam asked softly, lowering his eyes.

            David shrugged, “Knowing Max, he’ll want to break Mikey as quickly as possible, so no, he’ll probably just fuck him.”

            Sam licked his lips, “What do I do first?”

            “Taste it, use your tongue and, when you think you got it, put it in your mouth.” David pushed the pillows about until he was sitting up and laid back on them, his hands clasped behind his head, “Take your time, I’m in no hurry.”

            Sam nodded and slowly extended his pink tongue, running it up the side along the large vein. He heard a soft grunt from David and smiled to himself, that was a good kind of sound. Sam continued to lave his tongue over David’s cock, slowly getting more confident even as David, despite promising he was in no hurry, began to lose patience and nudge Sam with his foot to get a move on!

            The younger moved back a bit and took a slow breath before moving forward and sliding the head into his mouth, David hissed and his hands moved down to grip his own thighs,

            “That’s it, Sammy, just like that.” He mumbled.

            Sam grinned and tried to take more only to buck and pull off, coughing and trying to keep his dinner down. David huffed and leaned forward to smack Sam on the back,

            “Don’t choke yourself, alright? You’re too young to remember you don’t need to breathe.” David muttered, as he turned from smacking Sam’s back to stroking it, moving his palm over Sam’s spine and rubbing at his shoulders lightly, “Here, I’ll show you how to do it, sound good?”

            Sam coughed and nodded, he was pushing into David’s touch and purring softly, “Y-Yeah.”

            “Alright, lay back and let Big-Brother David show you how to suck cock.” David grinned at the implication of the sentence while Sam and he traded spaces, “Just relax, baby boy, I won’t hurt you and, since I’m older, less likely that I’ll drop fang and snip off your dick anyway.”

            Sam’s eyes widened slightly and he swallowed audibly, “Uh . . . what?”

            David only chuckled and went down on Sam, making the younger male gasp and arch his back. David was good at this, an expert, hell, he was a fucking prodigy at cock sucking. Max always commented on how his pouty lips were perfect for it, that there was something so wonderfully erotic about the way David’s eyes looked when he glanced up from his task; lids lowered so David would look up through his lashes, so innocent yet feral all at once. He was perfect for it; the same way his ass was perfect for fucking and spanking, according to Max.

            Sam didn’t last long and was soon panting and gasping while he shot his load into David’s mouth. David sat back and licked his lips a little,

            “And that is how you do it.”

            Sam swallowed thickly and grinned, “That . . . that was _fantastic!_ ”

            David settled down next to Sam and chuckled, slinging an arm around Sam’s waist, “Glad to hear my skills aren’t rusting. How about letting me rub one out, eh?”

            Sam nodded slowly and stared into David’s eyes, “Your eyes really are an awesome blue.”

            David blinked in surprise at the unfamiliarity of the compliment and snorted, “Fag. On your belly, alright?”

            Sam rolled over and sighed, “Are you going to . . . you know?”

            David leaned over Sam and cocked an eyebrow, “What do I know?”

            Sam shivered while David stroked his left asscheek, “P-Put it in me.”

            David chuckled, “As much as I’d like to be the one to take your maidenhead, I think I’ll let Max have the pleasure. Naw, I’m just gonna rut your ass and unload on your back, if you have no objections?”

            “Maidenhead?” Sam’s turn to cock an eyebrow.

            David nodded and slid over to straddle Sam’s upper thighs, letting his cock press into that sweet teenage boy-ass, “Virginity, Sammy.”

            “Oh.”

            David pressed into Sam and started to hump him from behind, grimacing at the friction, he leaned forward and gripped Sam’s wrists, holding them tightly enough that, if Sam were human, they would have broken. Sam groaned softly and David could smell the younger’s renewed arousal, he smiled and increased the pace, wishing he could sink his cock into Sam’s warmth, but knowing that if he did, Max would not be happy.

            David settled for leaning forward, dropping fang and gently biting down on the nape of Sam’s neck; making the boy yelp and arch as he came a second time, the taste of his orgasm and pleasure flavoring his blood so potently as to drive David over the edge as well, painting Sam’s back with his tepid seed.

            The older vampire flopped onto his back next to Sam while the teenager tried to catch his breath,

            “That . . . wow!” Sam groaned, propping himself up on his elbows, “And you guys are like this _all the time_?”

            David snorted and lolled his head over to look at Sam, “More or less.”

            Sam smiled widely, “I’m gonna go get cleaned up.”

            “Alright.”

            Sam hopped up and grabbed David’s towel, wrapped it around himself and made for the door, he stopped in the doorway and smiled over his shoulder at David,

            “I could get used to this.”

            Then he ducked out with David’s smile on his mind.   


	5. Father/Son Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David tries to get into Max's good graces again. Any way he can.

            David shifted his weight slightly while Max fixed him with a calculating look, “Sorry, I don’t think I caught that.”

            David took a slow breath and looked at Max, “I was wondering if maybe you wouldn’t object to some company when you go into town to pick up blood for the Family.”

            Max’s eyes narrowed, “Sweetling, this isn’t some ploy to get out of the house, is it?”

            “Well . . . yes, but just to get out for a bit, c’mon, Max! I’m going batty, literally, from bein’ cooped up here! I could be helpful, really! Let me go with you, please?” David thrust out his lower lip and looked imploringly up at Max.

            The older vampire sighed heavily and smiled, reaching out to trace David’s lower lip with his thumb, “You are incorrigible, David, but alright, you may come along. I’m going out in an hour, if you aren’t in the car, I leave without you.”

            David smiled brightly, “Cool. Alright then!”

            Max watched the blonde menace duck back out the bedroom door and hurry downstairs, he shook his head, “Can’t imagine what you’re up to, boy.”

* * *

           David shooed the dogs off the couch and flopped down, Michael leaned over the back and tilted his head,

            “Why are you suddenly so keen to go with Max?”

            David narrowed his eyes, “No reason. Just want some fresh air, alright?”

            “David, if you’re planning something-“

            David sat up and snapped at Michael, almost nipping the younger’s nose, “Even if I was, it isn’t really any of your business, is it? Piss off!”

            “Geez, touchy much?” Michael hissed at David then turned and left the living room.

            David snorted, “Bet you’d like that.” He slumped back down on the couch and glared at the television, he held up his hand and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV and settling in for something mildly amusing and always on, “Do your magic, Bob Barker.”

            “You like the PIR?”

            David tilted his head over the armrest and looked at Sam, “We’re abbreviating it now?”

            Sam shrugged, moving to sit at David’s feet, “So.”

            “So?” David tried to pay attention to the little old lady that was spinning the giant wheel, mentally hoping she’d break an arm or have a stroke and make the program that much more interesting.

            “I was just thinking-“

            “Careful that could be dangerous.”

            “Hardy-har, I was just thinking about what we did the other night and uh . . . “ Sam fidgeted, looking at David imploringly, “I’m confused.”

            David blinked and turned off the TV, “Come again?”

            “I’m confused, but then I’m confused about so much lately that maybe us having kind-of-sex isn’t really what’s on my mind, really? I don’t know and I have so much going on that-“

            David held up a hand to silence the chatter, “Whoa, boy, hold on. Now, what are you jabbering on about?”

            “I feel . . . guilty. Or at least, _part_ of me feels guilty while the other part thought it was fantastic. It’s the same with feeding and hunting . . . it’s like I’m split down the middle.” Sam looked sadly down at his hands.

            “You talk to Max about this?” David sat up a little more, “It isn’t uncommon, especially with kids that get turned, but this isn’t my department, Sammy.”

            Sam sighed, “I haven’t talked to Max yet, no . . . and I’m a little scared to.”

            David shifted to sit closer to Sam and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, “Look, and I never want you to repeat this, but Max is a fantastic leader and a great Father. I remember my own dad and I’d take a thousand Max’s before I’d ever want my real dad back. Max will listen to you and he’ll do his best to explain things, a lot better than I can, and I promise you that he won’t get mad at you for asking questions. Same with the sex thing, you can talk to him about it and he’ll be cool. Hell, he’d probably just ask you if you’d like to get step-by-step instructions! But he will _never_ belittle you for having questions, alright?”

            Sam blinked slowly at David then he nodded, “Okay.”

            “Feel better?” David put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

            “Yeah.” Sam smiled a little.

            “Good, you tell any of the guys or Max what I just said and I’ll whup your ass into next week.” David gave Sam a shove off the couch and turned the television back on.

            Sam shook his head and smiled, he leaned over and kissed David’s cheek, “Yeah, yeah, love you too, asshole.”

            David swatted at Sam when the younger leapt away and ran out the door. He sighed and sat back, smiling to himself, “Brat.”

* * *

            The cool night air felt weirdly damp and it smelled funny too,

            “This place sucks.”

            Max glanced over to David and sighed, “It isn’t my first choice either . . . “

            “Any idea when we’ll be moving on?” David put his arm on the rolled down window and rested his chin on it, staring out into the forest, catching glimpses of glowing animal-eyes.

            “Not long now, my sources have informed me that while those idiot boys are not being taken seriously by many, they’re still shooting their mouths at every opportunity.” Max glanced at his watch then turned down an old, two-rut road.

            “ . . . where are we?” David slowly turned to look at Max uneasily.

            “Far enough out of town to be inconspicuous, believe me if we got caught by the police ‘smuggling’ blood . . . “ Max’s voice trailed off as he pulled into a small clearing where two other vehicles were parked, the owners were sitting up on the hoods of two pick-ups, their eyes glowing ominously in the darkness.

            Max parked and slowly got out of the car with David close behind him, his blue eyes taking in the vampires in detail. Not one of them was scraggly or looked underfed, in fact, at least two were wearing dress shirts. Max calmly moved forward and stood in the middle of the clearing, another vampire with slicked back hair and gleaming brown eyes (this was the one with the tie) strode in to meet him.

            “Lord Maxwell,” He said quietly, a slow smile stretching across his face to show off his fangs, “And this must be your little prince, David.”

            “Jacob, I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible.” Max said calmly.

            “Well, you know the protocol. Tell your boy to go back to the car and we’ll get started.” Jacob jerked his chin in the car’s direction without breaking eye-contact.

            “David, go back to the car and wait for my instructions.” Max said, glancing briefly at David then locking eyes with Jacob again.

            “But-“ David started, he did _not_ like this . . .

            “Do as you are told, David.” Max hissed, his own fangs dropping.

            David grimaced when the other assembled vampires snickered while the blonde grudgingly went to stand in front of the car, his fingers twitched and he wanted a smoke as the tension only seemed to build while the two male vampires had a staring contest.

            Jacob raised one hand and two vampires reached into either truck’s bed to retrieve two Red Cross coolers, they carried them to the center of the clearing and put them on either side of Max. The bespectacled vampire snarled lowly at one of the vampires who lingered a moment too long then Max pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket and put it in Jacob’s hand.

            Jacob didn’t open the envelope before pocketing it then smiled, “Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

            Max sighed, “Tradition will always hold us, won’t it?”

            Jacob snorted and shook his head, taking a few steps back, “I don’t know, m’lord, maybe one day we’ll learn how to break it?”

            “You’re starting to sound like Milo.” Max said warningly.

            “How is His Lordship these days? Still baching it in New York? I hear talk he owns the entire city.” Jacob tilted his head curiously.

            “If Milo owns anything, I’d be very surprised.” Max glanced up at the sky, “You haven’t heard anything too earth-shattering, have you?”

            Jacob shook his head, “No, m’lord, have my ear tight to the ground but not a tremor has reached it yet. You going East-ways?”

            “Yes. And I’ll thank you to keep your silence.” Max’s eyes narrowed slightly.

            “I would never!” Jacob growled softly then straightened up, “I take offense to the notion that I, a humble servant of Our Dark Mother, would ever betray one of hers.”

            “Good.” Max waited a moment then sighed, “And thank you, Jacob, for allowing us your hospitality. I am aware that the territory lines have been a bit tenuous in the last decade.”

            Jacob inclined his head and smirked, “It’s a pleasure, m’lord, now we must be off. Those baggies don’t fill themselves!”

            Max and David watched the pack of vampires load up into the two trucks then drive off, David blinked slowly while Max grabbed one of the coolers and carried it to the car.

            “Make yourself useful and grab the other one, David.” Max ordered.

            “What was all that then?” David asked as he hurried to the cooler, “All that talk about some Milo guy and Our Dark Mother and whatnot?”

            Max put his cooler into the trunk then arched his back, “Oh, I suppose I never saw a need to inform you of the old traditions . . . well, when two vampires come together to make a deal or trade something or whatever, they normally will stand like we did, eyes locked, until the transaction is finished. As to the rest of our conversation, Milo is my younger brother and ‘Our Dark Mother’ refers to my actual mother, a vampress that rules the East Coast. She turned my brother and me shortly after killing her sire. Look, it is a very long and arduous tale that I’m not willing to get into right now, so drop it.”

            David blinked, “I . . . I didn’t know you had a real family.”

            The blonde put the cooler next to Max’s in the trunk before closing it. Max turned to blink at David,

            “Oh don’t act offended, if I thought for even a moment that that information was even remotely valuable, I would have told you.” Max muttered, “I haven’t spoken to them in years.”

            David licked his lips and moved closer to Max, putting a hand lightly on the older male’s arm. This was the real reason he’d wanted to go with Max, they hadn’t had any alone time since moving and while it was amusing to play around with any of the Brothers, it was Max he really wanted.

            “Yes?”

            David’s fingers ghosted over the crotch of Max’s trousers, pressing down ever so lightly.

            “ . . . I, uh, thought that maybe we could-“ David was cut off by Max grabbing him and pressing him face-first into the vehicle, “Ngh!”

            “Naughty boy.” Max muttered while he rolled his pelvis into David’s backside, “Has no one ever told you to ask before you touch? Hm? Or was I remiss in that lecture?”

            David gasped softly as his shirt was pulled out of his belt and hiked up, exposing his torso to the cool metal of the car’s frame, “I-“

            “You talk too much.” Max snapped, reaching up to viciously twist one of David’s nipples.

            David opened his mouth to cry out only for Max’s other hand to clamp over it, the blonde glanced over his shoulder at Max in time to see him pull out a kerchief before it was shoved into David’s mouth. David groaned around the cloth and pressed his forehead against the car while Max undid the blonde’s belt and pushed his jeans down to his knees.

            “No underpants? So you’re a slut now? How disappointing, I raised you better than that or at least I thought I did.” Max commented disapprovingly.

            David whined as Max’s cool hand ran over his buttocks, he tried to push back eagerly but was shoved forward when Max landed a stinging blow to his backside. David howled around the gag but that only drove Max further and then the bespectacled vampire did the one thing that David hated more than anything he could think of at that moment; Max began to monologue.

            “Was this your plan, David? Come along for a little ride with Daddy then try and seduce him with your charm? Well, it worked now didn’t it? You have my undivided attention!” Max punctuated every other word with a smack, “I suppose it is only appropriate that you get your punishments now, hm? Your pride won’t allow for a more _public_ thrashing. You were always such a willful, demanding little brat and you haven’t grown out of it I see. It is just as well, isn’t it? That Daddy Dearest take you in hand and give you a good spanking where no one will see.”

            David would have liked to explain that while Max was right, he was also an ass, but the gag prevented him from voicing it beyond a loud, low whine.

            Max chuckled and ran his fingers gently over the slightly reddened and heated globes of David’s ass, “Feel better?”

            David huffed and went limp, he nodded slowly despite the tears that rolled down his face.

            Max chuckled again and leaned closer, he reached around David and pulled the car door open, nudging David onto the backseat, “Always so proud . . . whatever happened to my sweet little Davey, hm? Where did that bright-eyed fledgling go? You try so hard to pretend that you’re hard as stone on the outside, but Daddy knows better, David. He knows how sweetly you’ll cry when the right words are used or just the right touches. He knows you still want to be Daddy’s little boy and never have to grow up.”

            David whimpered and huddled against the opposite door, covering his face and crying softly while Max climbed in after him, undoing his own belt and pushed his trousers down to reveal his leaking erection. David wanted to spit the gag out and take Max into his mouth but he didn’t dare yet, if that’s what Max wanted then he’d remove the gag himself. Max scooted forward and grabbed David, pulling him down onto his side then settling behind him. David breathed heavily through his nose, his eyes squeezed shut while he felt Max sliding his fingers slowly over David’s taint.

            David shuddered while Max kept touching him, making his body hum slightly with pent-up energy then he howled around the gag as said fingers were shoved into his ass. He writhed indignantly and shook his head, trying to convey his discomfort but that only made Max chuckle,

            “I’m sorry, David, did that hurt? Sorry, you’ll have to speak up . . . “ Max purred loudly in David’s ear while he pumped three fingers in dry.

            David arched his back and moaned loudly when Max crooked his fingers and nudged David’s prostate. He knew once Max had made his point he would ease off and then it would be good again. David just had to be patient and not fight back too much . . . but that was easier said than done as Max continued to torment David by making his fingernails extend into claws while still inside the blonde.

            Max smiled darkly when David pushed back and his amusement only grew when David whined at the fingers being pulled back out,

            “hush, Daddy has something you’ll like even more.” Max cooed then shifted forward and took his cock in hand, “Hold still, sweetling.”

            David closed his eyes and shivered as the head of Max’s cock brushed his waiting hole, it felt like an eternity since they’d done this and he was more than ready. After a little effort, Max was deeply seated inside David, making the blonde breathe out in relief. Max’s thick length was familiar and comforting in an odd way that David could not even explain to himself.

            “Ah, yes, good boy, David . . . such a good boy.” Max murmured, tucking his head into David’s neck while he thrust forward, “My good boy.”

            David tilted his head back slightly and moaned around the gag, protesting only a little when Max shifted them so David was on his hands and knees while Max took him from behind. It wasn’t David’s favorite position as it made him feel vulnerable, but it was nice that Max’s hands roamed over his body, petting and stroking in all the places David liked best.

            “That’s it . . . oh, David . . . “ Max pushed into David hard enough to make the blonde’s toes curl in his boots.

            It wasn’t very long before Max leaned forward and plowed into David with such force that he slammed the younger vampire’s face into the seat, snarling and biting down hard on David’s shoulder. David cried out, effectively ejecting the gag from his mouth and spilling his release onto the car seat.

            A few moments later and they had both recovered enough for Max to huff and step back out of the vehicle. He did up his trousers and leaned against the car. David quickly cleaned up the mess he’d made with some tissues and got his clothes back in order. He scooted across the seat to sit on the edge with his feet on the grass outside. Max said nothing for a moment then grunted,

            “Do you have any cigarettes on you?” Max asked softly.

            David nodded and handed Max the pack and his lighter, watching the older vampire tap out a fag and stick it in his mouth before lighting up and taking a long slow drag. Max exhaled slowly into the night air, the smoke looking silvery in the moonlight, and closed his eyes. David didn’t say anything at first then opened his mouth to speak but Max held up a hand,

            “That was good.” He murmured, opening his eyes, “But we need to get back, your mother and brothers will wonder where on Earth we’ve gone.”

            David nodded and got out of the car, standing awkward next to Max, “You’re . . . you’re not mad?”

            “Ah, so that’s what this was about?” Max asked calmly, taking another drag from his cigarette, “David, if I was angry with you at all, the last thing I would do would be to allow you to come. I think you were punished well enough for the last few weeks’ transgressions.”

            “I-I’m really trying, Dad, honest, I am!” David bit his lip, “I know you want me to grow up and be a leader . . . I want to make you proud of me.”

            Max shook his head and smiled, he reached over to lightly smack David upside the head, “Stupid boy, I know these have been trying times for all of us, but I know you’re making the effort. And that is enough to make me proud, now get in the car.”

            David nodded and hurried to obey, watching Max flick the cigarette butt away before he got into the car and started the engine. He stared out the windshield a moment before reaching over and pulling David against his chest tightly, kissing the top of a startled David’s forehead,

            “I love you, son.”

            David swallowed and grinned, taking in a deep breath of his sire’s scent, “I love you too, Dad.”


	6. Running Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max gets bad news and the Family is back on the road.

“David, if you kick my seat one more time-“ Max snarled, looking in the rear-view mirror at his eldest.

David glared, “Then answer my damn questions!”

“I thought you two weren’t fighting anymore?” Sam bit his lip and hugged Nanook while Thorn snarled at David.

“Max-“ Lucy started but Max glared in her direction and cut her off.

“David, for the last time, I don’t know!” Max shouted, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

David blinked and sat back in his seat, “What’cha mean ‘you don’t know’? You always know!”

“Yes, well this time I don’t.” Max muttered, taking a slow breath, “It isn’t good, alright? We had to leave in a hurry because something happened, Jacob hasn’t gotten back to me with the details but the Hunters were snooping about and that is _not_ a good sign. So I don’t know where we’re going, I don’t know what we’re going to do and I certainly don’t know how much longer we’re going to be on the road!”

David’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “Wh-Why don’t we go to New York? You’re brother’s there, right? He’ll-“

“Who, Milo? You honestly think he’ll- forget it, you don’t know him, so I can’t expect you to understand why that is _definitely_ out of the question.” Max grit his fangs, the stress was really getting to him.

David leaned forward, putting his chin on the shoulder of Max’s chair, “You’ll figure it out, Dad, you always do . . . We’ll be okay.”

Max glanced at David through the rearview mirror and sighed heavily, he reached back and stroked David’s cheek, “I hope you’re right, David . . . I hope you’re right.”

* * *

The next few nights were incredibly somber and that was unnerving enough, but it was worse because the quiet was coupled by an almost audible hum of tension. They all sat in the hotel room they occupied and for once, there was no roughhousing, no laughter, no pillows flying through the air, and worst of all, no Max telling them to settle down and go to bed. He just sat on the edge of the bed he and Lucy were to sleep in and stared at the wall.

David would lie in the bed with Lucy and Max and he knew that Max wasn’t sleeping, the older vampire would just lie awake with his mind whirring and trying to find the solution to their predicament and it was absolutely terrifying . . . Max was never the uncertain, afraid type, he was the calm, cool, collected kind of guy, the one with the answers, the one who knew what to do and say and . . . now David was huddled against him and shaking with the uncertainty of their situation.

So this was what it was like to be prey?

David had never been a hunted thing, certainly when he had been younger he’d felt fear. Back when he was human, hearing the front door slam and knowing his drunkard father was home was enough to make his heart stop, but he’d never been run down and harmed. His experience with being turned had been pleasant and he’d wanted what those long, sharp teeth had promised, whether that promise was a swift death or immortality was not the issue, either would ensure that he would never be afraid again.

The blonde leaned up to nuzzle Max, letting the older vampire know that David knew he was still awake, Max shifted and then got up, moving to the door and sliding out of it. David bit his lip and silently followed, aware that there were a few pairs of eyes on him as he tiptoed out the door.

Max was leaning on the railing outside their room, staring into the sky while he smoked,

“You never smoke this much.” David said softly, moving to stand next to Max.

Max blew out a cloud and closed his eyes, he’d left his glasses in the room, but then he only wore them out of habit anyway,

“I know.”

“ . . . I,” David swallowed, “I wish I could help.”

Max snorted and at first David thought he was laughing but then he almost took a step back in shock when he saw that Max was crying,

“Oh, sweetling . . . “ Max murmured, “I’m such a fool.”

David’s eyes widened and he quickly moved forward, hugging tightly onto Max, “No, Sire . . . you’re not a fool!”

Max turned and put his arms tightly around David, “Yes, I am . . . I turned too many in too small a place and look where we are now, running blindly into the night.”

“We-We should really go back inside.” David said nervously, glancing at the horizon as it lightened.

“I don’t know how to face them.” Max murmured.

“Max. . . _Dad_ , please, we need to go back inside!” David tugged urgently on Max’s sleeve until the older vampire turned and followed him back into their room.

* * *

Max was on the phone with someone, speaking in a language that David only partially understood, and they were arguing. Finally Max hung his head and sighed heavily, he murmured something into the receiver then hung up, he slowly turned to the Family, all of which were waiting on bated breath for him to tell them any news.

“Star and Laddie are dead, the Hunters found them and tortured them until they told them everything, then they were left out for the sun to finish off.” Max pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed, “They know where we have been and they were following us for the past two weeks. Now, I’ve deviated from the original path I set but by the looks of things, we won’t be able to stay in any one place for more than one day . . . and they’re waiting for us to arrive to the destination I originally set, which means that my contacts there are already dead.”

Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, “Then where will we go?”

“There’s only two places left that my family has holds in, New England and the South. I utterly refuse to go to the South unless absolutely necessary, so it looks like we are going to New York. Now they know the car’s and all the bikes’ plates so we’ll be flying there. So only pack what you need to and there’s one more thing.”

“What?” Paul asked softly leaning forward, his eyes wide with a fear that they all felt.

“They know what we look like so . . . “ Max grimaced.

“You . . . “ Marko sat back, his mouth dropping open, “You want us to change how we look?”

“Haircuts and a change of clothes.” Max said.

There was an uproar of disapproval from the four older boys; Marko burst into tears, Paul nearly punched a hole in the wall, Dwayne looked like he might vomit, and David made it very clear that they’d have to hold him down if they wanted to cut any of his hair off.

* * *

David fought even harder as the scissors got closer to his head, he kicked angrily while Lucy snipped away strands of his long bleached blonde hair until it was as short as Sam’s. It wasn’t until they’d washed out all the gel that he was finally released. David shot back and hissed at Max and Michael who had had the displeasure of holding onto the blonde.

David stormed out of the bathroom and glared around the room at large, it was a rather pitiful sight. Marko was sobbing in a corner, his long locks of honey colored hair gone in favor of a close haircut. Paul was muttering darkly under his breath in what might be German and he was sporting a swollen lip from chomping down on it too hard and often whilst getting his hair shorn off. And Dwayne was staring blankly at the wall, twisting one of his hair ties between his fingers. Not to mention all of their jackets were in a bag next to the door and Max had gotten them all plain jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes to wear.

It would also be only a matter of time before David’s peroxide-treated hair faded to reveal the scrubby, mousey color it normally was. The soon-to-not-be blonde sat on the bed as far from everyone as possible and growled loudly, this was the most unjustified thing he’d ever had to suffer through! How could they do this to them? How could they take away their jackets and bikes and, for fuck’s sake, their _hair_?

“What’d you say?” Sam asked softly from where he was hugging Nanook on the floor.

“I SAID THIS ISN’T FAIR!” David roared, turning on Sam and was about to slam a fist in his stupid, untouched face when a hundred pounds of husky leaped at him and bit down on David’s cheek.

David cried out and shoved the damn dog away and it was thrown across the room, taking with it a few chunks of David’s face. Sam called the dog’s name and hurried to check on it while everyone else stood in astonishment. David sat back on the floor, breathing heavily with wide eyes as blood oozed down his face and started to seep into the black shirt he was wearing.

There was a flurry of motion and David felt a towel being pressed to his cheek while Max snapped at someone for something but David couldn’t hear anything at that moment, he just felt his world tumbling down around him as the dull throb from the dog’s bite filled his senses. David was being held to someone’s chest while they held the cloth to his face and he realized that he was sitting in Dwayne’s lap while the stoic vampire staunched the bleeding.

* * *

The car ride was very quiet, David sat in the front seat with Max while Lucy sat in the back with Sam and the dogs. David had a bandage on his cheek and refused to make eye-contact with anyone while Max muttered to himself, glancing in the mirror to make sure that there were still four sets of headlights behind them.

“I’m . . . I’m sorry Nanook bit you.” Sam mumbled.

David didn’t say anything for a moment, “I’m sorry I went to hit you. Gotta give the mutt credit, he’s damn loyal.”

Sam smiled a little and ruffled the husky’s ears, “Yeah, he is.”

“I guess I sort of deserved it anyway . . . or I will in the future.” David shrugged.

Max sighed and smiled sadly at David, “You always such a troublemaker.”

“I’s one of my charms.” David smirked a little and sighed, “So, all the way to New York, eh?”

“Yes, and let’s hope my brother is feeling hospitable.” Max murmured, his eyes trained on the nearly empty road.

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Lucy asked, stroking Thorn’s head.

“Well, we didn’t part on good terms . . . Milo was always a rowdy young man and he caused us trouble back home. Mother sent us both away to try and get some peace but then we fought while we were away too much so I left, intent on making my own way and he stayed behind in New York. While I wouldn’t say he is a horrid person, Milo is the sort to want something in return for our stay.” Max grimaced.

“What would he want?” David asked, “Not like we have anything to give him.”

“We have two things, David,” Max pulled onto the exit leading to the airport, “One is money and the other . . . flesh.”

“Flesh?” Sam blinked slowly then his eyes widened, “You-You mean, like, one of us?”

“Yes, Milo always was partial to striking deals that entail something to warm his bed.”

David blinked slowly then looked at Max, “If he does, I’ll do it.”

Max huffed, “Sweetling-“

“No, I’m serious, Sire, it’s my job to protect the brothers and I’m the eldest so it makes sense. You can’t let him have your mate and you’re not likely to be what he wants, so I’ll do it.” David said firmly.

Max glanced at David and smiled sadly, “I had hoped you wouldn’t have to take up responsibility in quite this manner.”

David sat back and looked out the window at the nearing lights of the airport, “We all gotta grow up sometime.”

* * *

Several hours later on a one-way flight to New York, Sam fell fast asleep with his head on Michael’s chest while Marko fidgeted on his other side. Dwayne was sitting with Lucy and Max and David was behind them with Paul.

“So, think they’ll serve us some vodka?” Paul asked in a half-serious voice.

"No. We don’t have any ID.” David muttered, tugging at the short strands at the nape of his neck.

“It-It’ll grow back.” Paul murmured, taking David’s hand and putting it on the armrest.

“Sure.” David muttered, he glanced around at all the snoozing humans, “Gods, I'm hungry . . . “

“C'mon, Davey-boy, let's just try to sleep, okay?” Paul murmured, reaching over to pull David to his chest.

David growled softly but then huffed and closed his eyes reluctantly, "We could do it Dracula-style, right? Kill everyone on board and land like a ghost plane."

"David, don't even think about it." Max muttered.

David sighed and drifted off.

* * *

“Lord Maxwell, over here.”

The Family turned around and there were two young women holding a sign with 'Maxwell xoxox!' on it. Max's lip curled in disgust as they made their way to the pair,

“Are you with Milo?” He asked softly, looking down his nose at the diminutive girls.

The two smiled wider and giggled, glancing behind Max at the group of boys, “Oh, yes,” said the one of the right, a redhead with a bob-style hairdo, “Lord Milocarfus sent us to meet you.”

“We have a car waiting for you.” The other waved at Sam around Max, twirling her curly black hair around her finger.

“That will do.” Max snapped, “Take us to my idiot brother.”

The girls both pouted but turned on their heels and led the way to the carport, the sun was almost fully set as they stepped out of the airport.

Max snarled at the girls constantly as they were driven in a very spacious limo, but David was glad for Max's protective nature as the two girls kept trying to get friendly with the Brothers. The ride was mostly quiet until Max finally asked the girls for their names.

“I'm Breena.” The redhead smiled prettily, flashed her fangs.

“And I'm Leanne.” The curly-headed girl bat her long eyelashes, “What are your names, boys?”

David opened his mouth but Max's hand snapped over it,

“Their names are none of your concern, you are to take us to my brother and that is all.”

“Forgive us, Lord Maxwell, we only mean to be welcoming.” Breena pouted, taking Leanne's hand.

“Really.” Leanne murmured.

Max glared out the window, "'Milocarfu', eh? He trying to scare people by making his name sound more important?"

"Well the Master does like his theatrics." Breena offered.

"I'll bet." Max muttered.

* * *

They pulled into the parking lot of a massive night-club, Max stepped out and his eyes narrowed angrily, “Where are we?”

“At Lord Milocarfus's home. He owns this vampire-exclusive club and his apartments are above them.” Breena waved for them to follow her up a staircase guarded by three very beefy vampires who bowed at the waist at Max then unlocked an electric padlock, allowing the group to pass.

“Leaved it to my brother to-” Max continued to mutter under his breath.

David smirked slightly, maybe New York wouldn't be as bad as he remembered it, what with them living above a night-club!

A pair of doors slid open and they stepped into a massive penthouse-style apartment, standing in the middle of the room, grinning widely with his hands folded on the pommel of a cane and wearing an expensive looking suit, was a tall man with bright blue eyes and dark brown hair.

“Hello Maxy, fancy seeing you looking so . . . disheveled.” The man grinned even wider, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Where did you learn that word, Milo? I didn't think you knew how to read.” Max growled as the Family ushered into the apartment.

Milo laughed and shook his head, “So many! My, my, Maxy, did you really get that lonely without my ass to kick about?”

“A night-club, Milo? Whom is the lonely one?” Max stepped up to his brother and drew himself up to his full height which was several inches taller than Milo.

“Ah, but I'm the one wearing Armani and you're wearing . . . what is that? Kmart?” Milo smiled down at his brother and leaned back.

“ . . . Milo.” Max sighed, “You know why I'm here.”

“Yes, you fucked up big time by turning a bunch of pubescent boys and bringing them up in a tiny California town and almost got outwitted by a pair of children. And look, here you are, groveling for me to give you shelter after you so kindly drove me off all those years ago.” Milo gestured grandly around his home, “And let us see, I run a night club for our kin in the middle of one of the largest cities in this country without so much as a hint of Hunters. Should I call Mother to gloat now or wait until you're sucking my dick?”

Max closed his eyes and sighed, “Feel better?”

Milo laughed and flung his arms out, “Yeah, fuck it all, I do feel better. How the hell you feeling, brother? You look like shit.”

Max shrugged, “Tired, worn-out and ready to relax.”

“Well then! Come on in and I'll go get some comfy clothes on!” Milo turned and ran up a staircase.

“What the hell was that about?” David blinked after their host.

Max sighed, “He likes to show off, don't worry about it, he'll drop the act now that he's made whatever point he thought he had to make.”

“Will he be alright with us staying here?” Lucy asked softly, holding onto Max's arm nervously.

“If he didn't want us here, he would not have agreed to let us come this far. Don't worry, my dear, Milo seems to be in a good mood.”

* * *

David helped them move their bags and was about to grab another when he literally ran into Milo, he yelped and fell backwards over Marko's bag,

“The hell-”

“So you're David? Huh, I thought you'd have looked different, based on my source's description of you, anyway.” Milo leaned over David then floated a bit so he could be directly over David.

“And what of it?” David asked, wary that this was Max's brother and a very powerful, much older vampire.

“Oh, nothing, nothing, I just never got to meet any of my 'nephews' since Maxy ran away from home.” Milo leaned even farther over until he was nose-to-nose with David, “I'm looking forward to getting to know you all . . . “

David swallowed then looked Milo in the eye, “Whatever it is you intend or want, you can get it from me, alright? Leave my brothers alone and I'll do what you want, anything you want.”

Milo's eyes widened and he grinned, “Is that so? And does Maxy know you're offering yourself-”

“He mentioned you might want something in exchange for us staying in your home. I assume you want a fucktoy and I assume that since you're approaching me that you want me anyway so whatever.” David huffed, “I'll do whatever you want.”

Milo reached out and held David's chin in his hand, “Well then, I want you to tell me, which of the 'brothers' is a virgin?”

David's eye twitched, “Why?”

“Because what I want is a virgin, David dear, not Max's precious little slut.” Milo cooed, “Now, tell me which of the brothers hasn't fucked or been fucked yet.”

David shook his head, “You get me or you get your left hand, asshole, what'll it be?”

Milo laughed and leaped back, standing over David, “No, love, see, you either tell me what I want to know or you and your little family get turned out into the gutter. So, answer my question and I'll know if you're lying so don't please, it wastes time.”

David felt his whole body tense and wondered if he could die by biting through his tongue, “ . . . Sam.”

“The little one with the mutt? Hmm, yes, that will do, thank you, David, you're such a sweet, obedient boy.” Milo turned on his heel and left the room.

David stayed where he was for a moment more before tearing after Milo, wishing he'd bitten his tongue right off.

 


	7. Extremely Temporary Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Milo wants Sam and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

“What?” Sam blinked nervously between Max, Milo, Lucy and David (who was helping Dwayne hold Michael back.

“It's very simple, Sam, you will be my pet for your family's stay here in my home. You do what I ask you to do and I don't change my mind about letting them live in my house.” Milo smiled and then held his hand out to Sam.

“Max, do something!” Lucy angrily pulled Sam to her chest, baring her fangs at Milo.

Max snarled loudly and got in front of Milo, “This is just like you, isn't it? You know that this is my right as his Sire! How dare you overstep your bounds and-”

“Ah, ah, ah, broher dear, rules and tradition says I get my pick of the litter while you're here. Now, don't make me upset, Maxy.” Milo smiled condescendingly at Max.

Max hesitated for a moment then looked back at Lucy, “He's right . . . “

“You can't just let him-” Lucy growled.

“No, it's okay.” Sam said, pulling out of his mother's arms and moving to stand next to Milo.

There was silence for a moment, even Milo's eyebrows rose in surprise, David quickly let go of Michael and hurried to grab Sam's shoulders and look him in the eyes,

“Sam, you get what he's asking for, right? You know what he wants from you, right?” he asked quietly.

Sam nodded, “Mhm, I do and . . . it's okay, really it isn't a big deal after we talked and stuff we did, I'm not scared, David, honest.”

Max's eyebrow rose slightly at this but he didn't comment. Lucy bit her lip angrily and made to move to grab Sam again but Max put his hand out and stopped her, shaking his head which seemed to only make her angrier so that she turned and stormed off. David glanced at Michael who turned to follow his mother, not even looking at anyone else, the blonde sighed and hugged Sam tightly, leaning down to mutter in his ear,

“ . . . there are no safe words, alright? He isn't going to play nice if he doesn't want to and he's going to hurt you . . . be strong, we won't be staying here for very long, I promise, okay? When it's over, just come in our room and we'll take care of you.” He let go and turned toward the boys' room.

* * *

Sam sat on the edge of the bed, trembling while he watched the tall vampire wander around the room putting things away before Milo turned and looked the youngest member of the Family,

“So, you and David have 'done stuff'? What kind of naughty things have you two gotten up to, hmm?”

Sam shrugged, “He, uh, um, he showed me some things . . . “

Milo chuckled, “Why don't you show me what he showed you, hmm?”

Sam swallowed slowly while Milo sat down on the bed next to him, the small vampire shifted and slid off the bed to kneel in front of Milo. The dark-haired vampire's eyebrows rose and he smiled slightly, stroking Sam's hair slightly while the younger undid his belt,

“Ah, so this is what David's lesson consisted of? I wonder how Max feels about that? Knowing that David touched you and played with you before he did? I'll bet dear little David will be swallowing his pride very soon. Oh, Sam . . . now that's a good boy . . . “ Milo tilted his head back as Sam ran his tongue slowly over Milo's cock again.

Sam squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of this being David or Max or Michael, anyone else but Milo; a stranger and a manipulative one at that. He tried not to gag as he pulled Milo into his mouth, then choking when Milo grabbed him by the hair and pulled Sam down into his lap. Sam coughed and struggled but Milo just thrusted harder into him, Sam tried to pull back, but he wasn't nearly as strong as Milo was.

“Yes, I can imagine my dear brother grinding his fangs to dust in agitation while I breach your sweet virgin ass, Sammy.” Milo growled then hauled Sam up by his hair, “You'll forgive my boorish nature, Sam, I'm so used to fucking the life out of humans that I'm not inclined to care about your comfort.”

Sam opened his mouth to cry out as his clothes were ripped off and he was thrown face-down on the bed, he scrabbled to try and escape, very much regretting trying to seem brave as Milo laughed and grabbed him by the ankle, yanking him back,

“N-No, wait, I-I changed my mind!” Sam tried to scramble backwards but Milo leaned over him, pressing into Sam's back.

Milo laughed softly,

“Perhaps, but I have not.”

* * *

It was all Max could do to keep the brothers from charging through the door when a high-pitched scream rent the air.

Michael howled, “Let me through, I'll kill him! I'll rip him to-”

Max pushed the younger vampire back, “Michael, get a hold of yourself!”

Lucy didn't look up from staring out the window and David grimaced, he quickly grabbed Michael from behind, lifted him up to sling Michael over his shoulder and started hauling the snarling vampire to the adjoining bathroom.

David threw Michael to the tile floor and hurried to close and lock the door, Michael was on his feet in a moment, fangs bared and claws ready to rip and tear,

“Get out of my way, David, or so help me, I'll-”

David ignored the threat and leapt forward, grabbing Michael tightly and pulling the brunette's shirt over his head then undoing Michael's belt and dropping his jeans to the floor before chucking him into the bathtub and turning on the hot water and stoppering the drain.

Michael blinked in confusion and started to get up only for David to shove him back down and the younger male boggled as David stripped out of his own clothes.

“What the hell are you doing?”

David climbed into the bathtub behind Michael and wrapped his arms around him, pressing Michael's arms to his side,

“As much as I'd love to kill that asshole for what he's most likely doing to Sam, we _can't_ Mikey.” David muttered, pressing his face into Michael's shoulder.

Michael made a vain attempt to struggle free but then slumped back against David, heaving a massive sigh and shaking his head,

“I . . . I'm supposed to protect him . . . “

“I know, Mike, I know . . . we all feel that way right now.” David murmured, “Now, I'm gonna let you go, promise you won't tear my throat out and let me wash you up?”

Michael stiffened then nodded and once more relaxed, “Okay.”

David nodded and let Michael go, he leaned over and turned the water off then grabbed a washcloth and the soap, lathering it up then started to run it over Michael's chest, arms and shoulders.

“I feel so helpless.”

“I know.”

“Why are we letting this happen?” Michael whispered hoarsely, putting his head back on David's shoulder, nuzzling the blonde's jaw.

“Because we don't have anywhere to go right now and Milo won't let us stay if we don't comply. As much as it pains me to say this, it's the good of the many versus the good of one . . . and Sam is the one.” David bit his lip, moving lower to Michael's belly and thighs, “It sucks but it's the truth.”

Michael hiccuped, “I'm so . . . so angry!”

“I know, Mike, just try and remember that no one wants this. Max especially doesn't, he wouldn't have hurt Sam, he would've been kind to him and would stop if Sam got scared . . . he  _wouldn't_ have scared him to begin with.” David dropped the washcloth and hugged Michael, “Christ, poor Sam.”

Michael rolled over and buried his face in the slight patch of hair on David's chest and sobbed, “I wanted to be with him first!”

David grimaced, he didn't want to mention that Max would have been first, it wasn't important now, “It'll be okay, Mikey, I promise. Max won't make us stay here for very long if that bastard is going to keep hurting Sammy. Now calm your irritatingly adorable self down, arlight?”

Michael lifted his head, “You think I'm adorable?”

David rolled his eyes, “Yes, when you're not extremely annoying, you're adorable.”

Michael blinked then put his head back down, “You're pretty sexy too.”

David smirked, “I know.”

They got out of the bath and wrapped towels around their waists before going back into the large bedroom. Michael looked at Max who was sitting with his back on the door and his face in his hands, the younger vampire bit his lip and slowly moved over to his sire and sat next to him, pressing his head under Max's chin until the older male pulled him into his arms.

David sighed and looked at Lucy who'd sat still as a statue next to the window this whole time. He sat at her feet and put his head in her lap,

“I'm sorry, Mum, I tried . . . “ he whispered, turning his face into her skirt and swallowing, “He didn't want me.”

Lucy absently stroked David's blonde hair, “It isn't your fault, David, sweetie.”

David bit his lip tightly until a drop of blood squeezed out, “It-It feels like it.”

Lucy leaned down and kissed David's forehead, “It isn't.”

* * *

Sam staggered slowly down the hallway, his whole body wracked with tremors as he opened the door only to leap back when Max and Michael tumbled out into the hallway.

Max shot to his feet and stared down at the naked boy, “Sam, are you-”

“He said we can stay.” Sam said in a tiny, tremulous voice.

Max blinked then gently took Sam's hand, “Alright, let's get you cleaned up.”

Michael stared at Sam as the youngest brother was lead to the bathroom, his head down and blood trailing down his thighs,

“Sam . . . “

Everyone was watching as Max closed the bathroom door, all the brothers backed up onto the giant feather bed, huddling uncertainly and straining to hear anything at all. Lucy moved to sit with the boys and they all crowded around her, Marko hurried to lie on her lap with his head on her stomach while Paul and Dwayne got on either side of her and David and Michael quickly put on some pants so as not to startle the already shaken Sam.

Max led Sam back out, his hands on the boy's shoulders and Sam refused to lift his head very high,

“We're not going to ask Sam about tonight. If he wants to talk then he will. Am I understood?”

There was a murmur of subdued agreement then Max picked Sam up and carried him to the bed and the usually indignant Sam was oddly quiet about being carried. Lucy shifted to curl around her youngest son and Max took the other side, setting his glasses on the nightstand,

“I'm assuming none of you want the other bedrooms?”

“No, we'll stay here with you.” Dwayne said quietly, reaching across Lucy to pet Sam's hair.

They all crowded onto the bed and it was a very long time before any of them were able to sleep.

* * *

“And good morning all!” Milo came down the stairs with a large smile on his face.

There was a rippling snarl throughout the room and Sam immediately scurried to squeeze under the chair that Max was occupying.

Milo pouted, “Aw, did everyone sleep on the wrong side of the bed? I slept fantastically!”

“I'll bet.” David growled and slowly stood up from the table.

Milo smiled winningly and tilted his head, “Sammy? Why are you hiding? C'mon out, puppy!”

“Enough, Milo, you've made your point.” Max bit out, putting his newspaper down with a snap.

“What point? I want my puppy back, he's mine until you leave, remember?” Milo drew himself up to his full height.

Sam squeaked and shook his head, “Nonononono . . . please, Daddy!”

“That won't be necessary,” Max snapped, his eyes flashing as he glared at his brother, “I've already made plans to move on.”

Milo's brow furrowed, “Oh really?”

“Yes, Milo, really.” Max stood up, “Don't make me phone Mother.”

Milo flinched and grimaced, “Mother wouldn't like hearing from you!”

“No? Well I don't think Mother would like to hear about your little business downstairs either.”

Milo went completely rigid, his eyes wide and jaw set, “You  _wouldn't_ .”

Max growled, stepping closer, “I would.”

Milo snarled and rounded on Max, “You breathe a word of this and I'll-”

“You'll  _what_ exactly, Milo? You have no leverage on me.” Max's lip curled back in a snarl and his fangs lengthened, Thorn lifted his head and growled.

Milo tilted his head back and looked at the dog, “Still have that mangy hound, I see.”

“Yes.” Max reached over to pat the dog's head.

Milo grinned, “Well then. Sam, dear, come here.”

Sam shook his head and Nanook whined uncertainly as he tried to lick Sam's face.

Milo's smile tightened, “Sam, NOW!”

Sam yelped and stood up, his whole body trembling as he moved to stand in front of Milo, “W-What?”

Milo put his hands on Sam's shoulders and looked at Max with a smirk on his face while the elder brother growled,

“Wasn't last night so much  _fun_ , Sam? You sang so beautifully for me . . . can't believe that was your first time! You-”

“Milo!” Max reached forward and grabbed Sam, pulling him back as all the brothers leaped to their collective feet and Milo had to step back.

The dark-haired vampire glanced along the line of glowing red eyes and fangs then he smirked, licking his upper lip,

“No leverage at all.” He murmured then turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. 

 


	8. Patching Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max tries to fix things, David grows up, Lucy lands a mean bitch-slap, and Michael finds out what Sam missed out on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So very very sorry for the wait. Uh, gonna resolve some things here. Lots of questions have been asked and hopefully this will help!

Max was about to go into the Family's room when Lucy suddenly appeared in front of him, “Lucy, dear-”

“Do _not_ 'Lucy dear' me!” She snarled, baring her fangs at Max, “You essentially threw _my son_ to the wolves by letting that pervert do what he did! Why? Why if we weren't going to be staying? I-”

“We had less than a day on the Hunters, Lucy!” Max snapped, towering over her, “If I hadn't hurried us onto the plane and came here we would have been staked without question! There was no way around it, I couldn't just-”

“Bullshit! Then where are they, Maxwell? Where are all these 'Hunters' you claim to see around every corner? Where?” Lucy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Max.

Max opened his mouth to answer but Michael was suddenly standing there, his eyes flashing with anger and a silent challenge, Max's eyes narrowed and he went to the window, scanning the surroundings then he pointed down at the street,

“There.”

Both Lucy and Michael moved to stand next to Max and look to where he was pointing and there, just out of the light of a streetlamp, was a man, just loitering about.

Michael snorted, “What does this prove?”

“You don't recognize him, which doesn't surprise me but he's been following us since we left the airport and he's been standing outside the building quite a bit, hence my reluctance to leave the first day. I don't know who he is or who he works for but it was suspicious enough for me to hurry here and not question Milo. Yes, what he did to Sam was terrible and I could not possibly be any angrier, but it was well within Milo's right to refuse us entry to his house if we did not give him what he wanted. And I could not risk us just sleeping in any old warehouse or haunt as we're quite a large coven and we have fledglings with us . . . I'm not sure how many are after us and I'd rather remain alive . . . “ Max walked back to the bed and sat down, hanging his head, “I cannot take back what happened but I'm doing everything in my power to get us out of here and away from Milo.”

Michael swallowed slowly and bit his lip to hold in his anger, “What do we do?”

“I've made contact with one of the last people that can help us . . . she wasn't too keen to accept what with how we've been chased across the country and we've quite a few of us to deal with, but I'm waiting for word from an old friend nearby who can assure us safe passage to . . . well, I'm not sure yet.” Max clasped his hands in front of his face and stared intently at the wall, “It's the best I can do.”

Lucy moved to sit next to Max, putting her hand on his thigh, “Anything is better than putting Sam through that again.”

“Agreed.” Max murmured.

* * *

Marko hissed and backed up angrily, “Fuck off!”

Leanne and Breena giggled, the redhead smiled toothily, “Aw, look at the pretty kitty!”

Her companion smirked, crooking her finger at Marko, “Here puss, puss, puss!”

Marko growled and looked around for somewhere else to be, fortunately David was suddenly standing between him and the girls, David snarled loudly and the two girls backed up,

“I think my brother told you to fuck off.” he snapped, “Get lost!”

Leanne and Breena both huffed and sashayed off, Marko grimaced,

“Jesus, my street cred is probably next to nil if I can't fight off two mangy chicks.”

David shook his head, “This place sucks massive balls . . . can't leave any of you alone here.”

Marko moved to lean on David's back, closing his eyes, “I really miss the cave and Santa Carla and the old house . . . “

“Me too, baby bat,” David muttered, reaching back to pat Marko's head, “C'mon, the only off-limits area in this dump is Max and Lucy's room.”

Marko nodded and followed David down the hall and away from the main living area, “How's Sammy doing?”

“Doesn't talk much, but then can't say I blame him . . . physically he's fine, Max let Sam feed off him so the little guy's all healed up but that's all I can say. Dunno what happens to a vamp when someone else steals home-plate.” David sighed and walked into the room, Sam was sitting with Dwayne and Michael on the bed while Paul sat watching out the window at something.

“Where are the old folks?” Marko asked, climbing onto the bed and flopping down on Michael's lap.

“They went out for something with Fuck-Face.” Michael muttered, running his fingers through Marko's hair, “They said they'd be back in an hour or so.

David went to the window and butted his head on Paul's shoulder, “Hey, you okay?”

Paul glanced at David then back at the window, “I don't feel safe here.”

David grimaced, “Yeah . . . It's alright though, I mean, we're all here so-”

“Fat lot of good that does us.” Paul muttered through clenched teeth.

“C'mon, Pauly, Max is doing the best he c-”

“Fuck you!” Paul whipped around and pushed David, “The best he could do was let some asshole put his hands all over Sam? The best he could do was hiding us like this? The best he could do was run away from a fight? No, this _is not_ the best Max could do! He's supposed to be some Vampire Lord, so why doesn't he have territory or better yet, why didn't we _defend_ it? This is so cowardly and pathetic! We're vampires, for fuck's sake! We shouldn't be running away from some fucking humans with wooden stakes! We should-”

“Be what, Paul? Risking our lives for what? One town that we almost bled dry? We couldn't stay if we wanted to!” David shook his head.

“Jesus, you sound just like _Max_! What happened to you?” Paul shoved David again, “Get angry! You were always itching for a fight and now you'll bend over and just _take it_?”

“No, I'm just not stupid!” David shoved Paul back, landing the lanky blonde on the floor, “I know when I'm beat! I know when it's safer to run than fight! I know that if we did fight, we got three fledglings that wouldn't've been able to defend themselves! And I know that I woulda just tried to burn down the town rather than have a plan! I'm smart enough to know that we were in no position to fight! Do I like it? No! I fucking _hate_ running! I'm pissed that someone hurt Sam and I'm pissed that we're all just waiting around like this when we should be doing _something_! You think I like this? That I'm _enjoying_ the whole 'bending over and taking it' part? NO! Fuck you if you think I want this!”

Paul bore his teeth and snarled then deflated, blinking rapidly as he scowled at the floor, “ . . . it's just not right.”

“Yeah, it isn't right, it sucks, yeh? But us fighting like this isn't going to fix it.” David offered Paul a hand-up.

Paul stared at David's hand for a second then sighed and took it, getting to his feet, “Sorry . . . '

David sighed, glancing out the window, “We're going to be alright.”

“I hope so.” Paul muttered, moving to stand by the window again, his expression more introspective than angry now.

David nodded and went over to the bed, sitting down next to Michael, “Fuck this, hey?”

Michael looked at David and nodded, “Almost makes me miss when all I had to worry about was whether or not you were going to kill me.”

David snorted and leaned over to nip Michael's earlobe, “That was just foreplay.”

“Everything's sex with you, isn't it?” Michael muttered, pulling away.

“Pretty much,” David shrugged.

* * *

Max closed his eyes and sighed, “Well that went as well as could be expected.”

“I still don't know why you insist on feeding your whelps bagged blood. It'll stunt their growth.” Milo muttered, grimacing at the cooler, “And why we had to take her with us.”

Lucy looked derisively at Milo, “Strange, I was going to say the same thing.”

“Both of you, enough. Milo, Lucy is my mate, of course I would take her with me, so shut up.”

“Out of all the women in the world you choose a mousey-haired housewife,” Milo muttered, glancing out of the window, “Hardly the standard for a Lord.”

“I was attracted to Lucy's personality and mind, Milo and she's beautiful.” Max snarled, taking Lucy's hand defensively.

“Plus you turned a bunch of ruffians and deviants to replace children you couldn't have as a _human_.” Milo continued, undeterred.

Max's eyes flashed angrily, “My boys, while ruffians, are nowhere near as deviant as you pretend not to be!”

“David was a little brat that didn't get beaten nearly enough as a human child.”

“I-”

“Dwayne was a foster care cast-off.”

“Now just a mi-”

“Paul was the product of an illicit affair that ended tragically for the mother.”

“Milo, that's-”

“Marko was a street urchin that turned tricks for food.”

“Enough, Milo, I-”

“And then there's Michael and Sam, the only ones that are possibly worth keeping.”

Max was about to finally throw his brother from the vehicle but Lucy held up her hand and smiled, “And what about them?”

Milo smirked, “Well, while Sam is a delightful little cock-sucking bitch, Michael has the kind of physique that tells me breaking him would be a joy. Sadly, I chose the younger of the two so that rodeo is all my brother's. You should be so _proud_ Lucy that your biological sons are so fit and handsome, otherwise Max probably would have just offed them and called it a night.”

“I see, and what, may I ask, is your legacy?” Lucy asked very sweetly, still smiling slightly.

“Mine? Oh, please, Lucy don't try to underhandedly insult someone who has no pride. My legacy is that I was actually successful, even before we were vampires, my dear, sweet older brother was an inept fool that couldn't tell his cock from a doorknob if he had a map. Despite everything I was the one that kept our family from ruin, certainly I was a womanizing prick much like today and not Mother's favorite son, but I was still the reason this fucktard wasn't living in squalor.” Milo laughed to himself and stared out the window, “The idea that the great Lord Maxwell is still begging his little brother to save him is more than enough reason to gloat.”

Lucy nodded, “Then there's no question who is superior.”

“Absolutely none.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

Milo faltered and looked at Lucy, licking his lips, “I beg your pardon?”

“You shake your leg any time you're in the room with more than one of us. Must be a nervous tick.” Lucy pointed to Milo's leg which was indeed bouncing rapidly.

Milo immediately stopped moving his leg and glared at her, “I-”

“You are afraid of us. Not because me, or Max, or any of the boys are particularly powerful, but because there are more of us than there are of you and you know that the boys would gladly rip you apart if Max said to.”

There was a heavy silence and Milo swallowed then looked out the window, his eyes darting from his two companions back out the window.

Lucy smiled and squeezed Max's hand, “Food for thought, yes?”

* * *

It was very quiet as Milo hurried into the apartment and to his own room. Max and Lucy walked in triumphantly with the cooler,

“That was quite well-put, my love.” Max smiled at Lucy, who stood up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek, “Well-put, indeed.”

“I thought it was time someone him down a few notches.” Lucy smiled as well and led the way to the bedroom only to frown, “'Have you all been in here the entire night?”

Michael looked up from the book he was reading over Marko's head, “Uh, yeah, mostly.”

“Can't leave the damn room without one of those girls pawing at us.” Marko muttered.

“It's a little annoying.” David growled.

“Well, we brought dinner.” Max lifted the cooler then put it on the floor in front of the bed, “I'd prefer if you didn't eat in here but given the circumstances, I think I'll make an exception. Sam, how are you feeling?”

Sam scooted to the edge of the bed, “I'm alright, really hungry though.”

“Bagged blood again, huh?” David mumbled, “So . . . when are we gonna be able to hunt again?”

“I'm hoping once we get out of the city, we'll shake off whoever is following us and be able to hunt more easily. It's about time that Michael and Sam have a fresh kill apiece.” Max went over to their luggage and got the two dogs their supper, patting Thorn's shoulders affectionately.

“Good.” Michael muttered around the straw he was using.

Max turned and looked at Michael, his eyes unfocused slightly as if thinking very hard, “ . . . yes.”

Michael turned his head to meet Max's gaze and his jaw clenched uneasily, “What?”

David snorted from where he was sitting on the floor, “Here we go . . . “

“What?” Michael asked again, this time looking at David.

* * *

Michael stood in front of Max, “Is this . . . is this really the time for this?”

Max walked around Michael slowly, his eyes traveling over the young man's body, “Yes. In fact I think I let this go for too long. I regret not doing this before now because perhaps it could have prepared Sam in some way, I do take some solace in that David was too horny to care about what tradition dictates. You however haven't done anything with any of the brothers, which not only concerns me, but I would rather avoid another of the fledglings being ill-prepared.”

“Concerns you? Why?” Michael swallowed as Max stood behind him with his hands on Michael's shoulders.

“Because it is normal to engage in sexual acts with other members of the Family or coven or whatever you'd like to call our group. It concerns me because it either displays a lack of interest, which is not healthy. Or abstinence, which is also not healthy. While I would rather be the first, I would not be adverse to you engaging in other acts with your brothers, it is natural.” Max shrugged and stepped closer to Michael, scenting him lightly.

“I . . . I uh, didn't really think about it.” Michael muttered, feeling very warm.

“Why is that? Don't you find your brothers attractive, Michael?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, sure they're all pretty good-looking and all . . . “ Michael floundered for words as Max's hands slid off his shoulders, “I just, um . . . “

Max stepped back and sat on the bed, he took off his glasses, “Yes?”

“ . . . I knew I was supposed to wait.” Michael muttered.

“I see, well that was good thinking on your part.”

“And I got the feeling I wasn't well-liked.” Michael looked off to the side, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

“Oh? From David I can understand, he's always been a jealous boy and the idea of not being Daddy's favorite rankles him, but the others?” Max sat back on his hands and smiled encouragingly.

“Well, they're alright . . . I was just kinda . . . I wanted . . . “ Michael swallowed, “I wanted to be with Sam.”

Max nodded, “I see. Well, you can have that when we leave here and when Sam is ready, he's undoubtedly shaken from Milo's . . . well, from _that_ , so I would give him time and you also need to wait for me to do what I need to, but after that, you two are free to enjoy each other as much as you can stand. And I would also encourage you to engage the other boys, it isn't healthy for to bottle up sexual frustration, it leads to violence, an idea that humans haven't figured out as of yet.”

“Okay . . . so was that it? I mean, was that what you wanted?” Michael glanced to the door.

“You know the answer to that already, Michael,” Max stood up again and stood in front of Michael, “No.”

“Alright . . . so we're gonna do this then? Right now?” Michael shifted his weight and tugged at the hem of his shirt a little.

“Yes.”

Michael nodded slowly and licked his lips, “I, uh, I may have already done stuff as-as a human.”

“With Star, I'm well-aware of that.” Max said evenly.

“Oh, uh, alright then.” Michael swallowed and slowly pulled his shirt over his head, dropping the garment to the floor and standing uncertainly in the center of the room.

Max stepped forward and put a hand on Michael's hip, leaning in to kiss the younger vampire's neck lightly. Michael instinctively tilted his head to expose more of his neck and his breathing hitched while Max's lips roamed his neck, jaw, and shoulder while his hand slid back over the back of Michael's jeans, pushing into one of the pockets and squeezing. Michael shivered and twisted his hands in Max's shirt, nearly tearing it when Max pulled him tightly to his chest, letting Michael feel his erection.

Michael made a soft keening sound as he was lifted into Max's arms while the vampire Lord's tongue found more sensitive skin,

“I-I . . . Max?” Michael hooked his legs around Max's hips and bit his lip.

“Hm?” Max glanced up from what he was doing.

“What are you, uh, gonna do?” Michael groaned and pressed against Max.

“I thought that would be obvious.” Max chuckled and pulled Michael's belt off.

“Ah! O-Okay, yeah, that I-I gathered, I just, uh! I-” Michael trailed off as Max dropped him on the bed.

“You really want a play-by-play, Michael?” Max asked gently, slowly undoing Michael's fly.

“ . . . no, I guess not. Just, hm, just do whatever you're going to do, I'm ready.” Michael murmured.

“Good, I'm told I talk too much when I fuck anyway.” Max chuckled and ran his hand over Michael's crotch.

Michael arched into Max's touch and licked his lips, “How do you want me?”

“As you are is fine, Michael, just relax and I'll take care of you.” Max murmured, leaning forward to lave his tongue over Michae's navel.

Michael nodded slowly, “Sire . . . “

Max pulled Michael's pants off and then his own, “David, if you think I don't know you're behind the door . . . “

David pushed the door open and sighed, “I was going to ask if you needed anything.”

“Sure you were!” Michael flipped him the bird, glaring at the blonde.

Max sighed heavily, “David, please don't do this now.”

“What am I doing _now_?” David snapped, crossing his arms.

“You know damn well what you're doing! Get out!” Max snapped, pointing at the door, “This has nothing to do with you, this is between myself and Michael!”

David snarled then turned on his heel and stalked off, slamming the door behind him. Michael shook his head and looked off to the side,

“Shit . . . “

“Don't worry about him, David is just jealous.” Max murmured, slipping his hand into Michael's boxers.

“Part of me wishes he'd stay, I- ngh!”

Max had grabbed Michael by the throat with his free hand and pulled him close until they were eye-to-eye, his other hand fondling Michael's stiff erection, “The sanctity of this first union between Sire and Childe will not be shared with _anyone,_ do you understand? This is sacred to our kind, I already had the rite taken from me by my fucking brother with Sam, do not even make mention of besmirching it.”

Michael's eyes widened and he licked his lips, “I-I'm sorry . . . I didn't meant anything by it!”

“Good. Lay back.” Max pulled off Michael's boxers and climbed onto the bed, still holding onto Michael's throat.

Michael did as he was told and shivered, feeling the strong bond between him and his Sire flare like fireworks in his brain, he keened again as Max pushed lube-slicked fingers into his entrance and started to prepare him. Michael pushed back on the digits and was a writing mess by the time Max felt he was ready. Max leaned away from Michael and slicked more lube onto his cock before bending over the younger vampire and pushing in, his intense eyes holding Michael's gaze until he felt hypnotized, his whole body felt like electricity was running through his veins. Michael was going to voice this when Max's face changed and he snapped forward, his mouth open and fangs glistening a moment before he lowered his head to bite Michael's carotid.

“Sire! Please!” Michael gasped as he felt the pull on his neck as Max drank deeply, sending fire down his spine to pool in his belly.

Max snarled then lifted his head, “Feed!”

Michael leaned forward and latched onto Max's neck, drinking in deeply his Sire's blood, it tasted old and powerful, like a well-aged wine, filling his every sense with sensations he had not been prepared for and wasn't surprised at all when he spilled his seed in an euphoric rush. Michael felt Max also tense every muscle in his body as he came then both fell to the bed.

Max licked his lips and sat up, panting for air he didn't need, “There . . . “

Michael's eyes fluttered and he bonelessly rolled onto his side facing Max, “That . . . That was something.”

Max chuckled, “You have an interesting way of phrasing things.”

“It was powerful, I'll give you that,” Michael shifted to put his head on Max's leg, the older vampire smiled and ran his fingers over Michael's hair, “And strong . . . I've never felt anything like that, Max . . . “

“Can you see why David is so jealous? There's a special bond between a Sire and Childe that can't be attained with anyone else . . . reasons why Milo took Sam.” Max clenched his teeth and leaned forward to push his nose into Michael's thick hair, “The bastard knew what he was doing.”

Michael twisted around to press his face into Max's stomach, his arms moving to circle Max's waist, “ . . . You'll fix it, you always do.”

Max smiled, “Your confidence in me is refreshing, Michael, there was many a time that I feared you would leave.”

Michael shook his head but didn't look up, “I won't leave my family, no matter how much we fight or if I disagree with how you do things . . . despite everything, you've protected us as best you could and . . . “ Here he looked up, “I'm grateful, really I am.”

Max leaned down and kissed Michael's forehead, “Glad to hear it.”

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Together Separate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Family finally get out of New York, but there's still a few hoops to jump through.

It was oddly quiet as the Family packed up the few things they'd brought with them and cautiously made their way out of the apartment and down to the street,

“Is this safe?” Lucy asked quietly, putting her hand on Max's arm that wasn't holding Thorn's leash.

“No, but we don't have much of a choice, our escort is waiting for us and I doubt she'd take kindly to us being late.” Max said gently, taking Lucy's hand briefly before turning his head to address the group, “Boys, stay close and if something happens, you know what to do.”

Six heads bobbed in acknowledgment and Max turned back to focus on where they were going. Michael shifted slightly closer to David,

“ . . . I have a bad feeling.”

“Me too, but we should be okay. We've only seen the one Hunter and if we just follow Max's plan, nothing bad should happen.” David murmured, taking Michael's free hand and glancing back to make sure that Dwayne had a tight grip on Sam's hand and Marko's hand was linked with Paul's.

“And if it does? If the shit hits the fan in a big way?” Michael muttered as they crossed the street.

“We do plan B.” David murmured, he leaned over and nudged Michael's shoulder lightly.

“I don't like 'plan b', Davey.” Paul muttered from the back.

“No one likes plan B, Paul,” Dwayne said over his shoulder, “But we do what we need to.”

“And we need to be quiet and keep moving.” Max called over their heads.

* * *

After walking for a few short minutes through dark streets, the octad came to a halt outside of a small Chinese restaurant that had only a small red candle in the front window.

Max tried the front door and, when he found it open, they all filed into the dim interior.

“I didn't expect your phone call and I'm sorry you didn't before because I could have prevented you ever needing you to seek out your brother.”

“Yes,” Max sighed, “I know, but I was trying to move quickly and this stint in New York was unexpected.”

A slim blonde woman stepped out of the shadows with a tall, thin bald man, the woman tilted her head then shook it slowly,

“Oh, Max . . . I'm so sorry you had to come back here.”

“It wasn't my first choice, Lindy.” Max murmured then the woman hurried forward and they embraced.

“It was careless of you,” The bald man muttered as he moved to the window and peeked out into the dark street, “I'm surprised you made it this far without getting dusted.”

“I'm aware of all this, Bartholomew, it's just . . . it was unfortunate, but I had to act.” Max explained as he stepped back from the woman.

“Even still, look what's happened! Your fool of a brother gets his damn way and you're running off in the night!” Bartholomew snapped, turning back on him, “What would your mother say, if-”

“Let's not discuss my mother.” Max interjected, “Just get us out of here.”

“That may be more difficult than first thought, we were not aware of so many,” Lindy gestured to the Family, “we may have to split you all up and take you a few at a time.”

“What?” Lucy looked up from checking the contents of her bag, “You can't just separate us!”

“Lucy, dear, please,” Max said gently, “Let's just hear what she has to say.”

Lindy grimaced, “Believe me, if we could whisk all of you away into the night without worry, we would, but because of how many of you there are . . . we may just have to do it in groups. We can take you, the female, and maybe two of the boys or the dogs on one trip then come back for the other four.”

Max grimaced and turned to the Family, “What would you want to do? We could move two boys and the dogs first then myself, Lucy, and two more or you then the last two?”

“Sounds good to me.” David said, he turned to the group, “Alright, Sam and Dwayne take Thorn and Nanook, then Marko and Paul can go with Max and Lucy on the second trip.”

“You sure?” Paul asked, moving closer and talking quietly, “shouldn't Sam and Mikey go with Max and Lucy?”

“No, Michael can stay with me and Dwayne is more than capable of protecting Sam.” David said quietly, “Besides, those damn dogs are fucking loyal as hell.”

Sam was kneeling with his arms around Nanook's neck while he listened, “So . . . we go first?”

Dwayne nodded, putting a hand on Sam's head, “It'll be okay, little buddy.”

Lindy and Bartholomew looked at each other then the balding vampire walked over to Max,

“Is this alright with you?”

Max looked at the boys gathered then knelt down, putting his hands on either side of Thorn's face, locking eyes with the white dog,

“You are to protect Sam and Dwayne with your life, do you understand? You will die before harm comes to them. You will keep him safe. I command this of you, Thorn.” Max then leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Thorn's, “You're such a good boy, Thorn . . . “

Thorn huffed and licked Max's ear, his tail wagging slightly. Max smiled slightly and stood back up, handing the lead to Dwayne. Sam blinked then looked at Nanook,

“Can you talk to Nanook too?”

Max chuckled, “It works with Thorn because he's bound to me; Nanook, while very intelligent and loyal, does not have the same level of comprehension as Thorn.”

Sam blinked then scratched behind one of Nanook's ears, “Well, I think you're smart, boy.”

Lindy smiled and put a hand on Sam's shoulder, “Say your goodbyes, kids, we're gotta get moving.”

There was hugs given round to both boys, David hugged Dwayne tightly,

“You better be in one fucking piece when I get wherever we're going, you asshole, or I'll kill you.”

Dwayne smirked and nodded, “Don't worry.”

“And you,” David grabbed Sam and pulled him into his arms, “Do what Dwayne says and keep close to him and the dogs, alright?”

Sam nodded and kissed David's cheek, “I'll be okay.”

Then they made for the backdoor with the two older vampires, Lindy stopped at the door, “We'll be back in a few days after we get the two settled. There's a fridge in the back with blood and the owners of the building will let you stay in the cellar during the day.”

“Thank you, Lindy.” Max said softly then the door closed and it was quiet.

Lucy bit her lip and leaned on Max, “I hope this works . . . “

“This time I can almost promise that it will work out.” Max said reassuringly, putting an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

 

Nearly a week later of staying in a cellar and drinking bagged blood (David was sure he would slowly forget what fresh blood tasted like), Lindy and Bartholomew returned,

“Alright, the boys and the dogs are all set up at your mother's estate. If we play our cards right we could have all of you living comfortably there within the month! Who's next?”

“Myself, Lucy, Marko and Paul.” Max stood up, holding a hand up for Lucy and grabbed his bag with the other hand.

“Okay, that will leave David and Michael,” Lucy looked at the two remaining, “Will you two be alright?”

Michael nodded slowly, “Yeah, Mom, we'll be okay.”

David smiled a little, “Don't worry.”

“Worrying is a Mother's number one job,” Lucy smiled and touched David and Michael on the shoulder, “Be careful, stay inside, and keep out of sight.”

“Yes, Mom.” Both boys chorused.

“Jokes aside, boys, please be careful.” Max said, moving closer, “David, keep yourself occupied, I know how your short attention span makes you restless. And Michael, listen to David and do what he says unless it's complete bullshit.”

Michael and David looked at each other then looked back to Max and nodded,

“Sure, Dad.” David muttered.

“You got it.” Michael sighed.

“That's my boys, we'll see you in a while.” Max chuckled and turned to follow Lindy.

David turned to Marko and Paul; Paul looked angry again while he gnawed at his bottom lip and Marko was wringing his hands so much that David was concerned he would pull off his own fingers.

“Hey, baby bat, easy on those digits,” David took one of Marko's hands then took one of Paul's, “And you, keep your cool, I know you don't like how this is going but remember what we talked about?”

Marko leaned into David's shoulder and Paul huffed,

“Okay, David, I'll keep my cool, I promise.”

“Keep Mom and Dad safe, alright?” Michael muttered, putting his arms around Paul and Marko's shoulders and pulling them all into a kind of group hug.

“We will.” Marko promised, “And you two keep each other safe.”

Michael smiled, “Don't worry, I'll keep David nice and safe.”

“Brat, if anything happens it'll be _me_ saving the day.” David reached over and flicked Michael in the nose.

“Not that this isn't touching, but we need to move.” Bartholomew muttered, crossing his arms.

“The man's right, boys, say your goodbyes and we'll see you outside.” Max turned toward the door with a rather worried-looking Lucy in tow.

Marko and Paul stepped back then after one last long look, turned and followed out the door with Lindy and Bartholomew.

Michael looked at David after a moment of silence,

“So . . . now what?”

“Now we wait.” David shrugged, “C'mon, I'm tired and we might as well get something to eat.”

Michael nodded and followed David into the kitchen,

“Hey, David?”

“Mhm?” David opened the fridge door and bent down to peer into the fridge.

“what does fresh blood taste like? I mean, human blood, I've only ever had bagged blood or Max's.” Michael leaned on the door, resting his elbows on it.

David glanced up at him then grabbed two baggies and nudged the brunette off the door to close it,

“Tastes like blood but without that weird plastic-y after-taste . . . and it's really warm . . . I dunno, it depends on the person, their diet, sometimes where they live, and what kind of things they do. Like . . . Like someone who works out or is a vegan tastes different from an overweight person. And sometimes it isn't a bad difference, sometimes I'd rather drink from an overweight person . . . their blood can have this weird, sugary-y taste to it, though if their cholesterol is high it tastes a bit chalk-y with plaque.”

“Huh . . . do emotions matter?” Michael sat up on a counter while David poured the blood into two mugs and put them in a microwave to heat them up.

“Oh yeah, depressed people taste different from generally content people and sex makes a big difference.” David leaned on the opposite counter, resting his elbows on the top.

“Sex like _having sex_?”

“Yeah, like if you're in the middle of fucking and you bite the person, and holy literal fuck! All those hormones and pheromones rushing through those veins until the blood almost seems to sing to you through the veins,” David grinned, “It was one of my favorite times to feed, after I've wound my target up until they could cream in their pants at any minute.”

Michael smirked, “So . . . you've fucked a lot then? With people other than the Brothers or Max, I mean.”

“Yes,” David nodded, “I used to have a bit of sex here and there in Santa Carla, but usually it was just with Star- . . . er . . . “

Michael huffed, “It's okay . . . she wasn't really . . . I dunno . . . “

David sighed, “She was your first, Michael, everyone remembers their first.”

“But she was supposed to be _your_ mate.” Michael pointed out.

David opened his mouth then closed it, “ . . . yeah, she was.”

For a moment then only sound in the room was the hum of the microwave as they regarded each other, Michael shifted uncomfortably,

“ . . . are you mad about that?”

“A little, if I'm honest,” David tilted his head back, “I picked her out and turned her myself, with my blood . . . but it's obvious that I wasn't enough to keep her interested. I turned Laddie too, but that was for . . . I don't know . . . maybe part of me was jealous of Max having the Family, I wanted to prove that I could be . . . be a good father.”

Michael's eyebrows rose slightly, “Why would you want that?”

David shrugged then looked off to the other side, “ . . . same reason I do pretty much everything else I do, to prove I'm not my father.”

“You mean your human dad?”

“Mhm,” David turned to the microwave as it dinged and took out the mugs, handing one to Michael, “He was drunken fucker that would beat the ever living fuck out of me, lock me in a closet sometimes for days, and rent out my bed and room to random strangers for drugs or favors . . . sometimes in the middle of the night when I was still in the bed.”

Michael blinked, “Wha-”

“But, let's bear in mind this was . . . what? Fifty? Nearly sixty years ago?” David leaned back and dipped a finger into his blood to test the temperature.

“Yeah, but still . . . that clearly stuck with you.”

David snorted, “Only in the way that I remember it happening, honestly I'm over all that and that's thanks to Max and the Brothers, I feel okay now and I just want to prove that I'm capable of being a master vampire and able to have my own fledglings but now that I think on it, it's probably best there aren't two more of us.”

“Maybe . . . “ Michael hopped down and moved to stand next to David.

* * *

 

Later they were lounging on the couch in the cellar, David was sprawled out on his back with Michael situated so the blonde could have his head in the brunette's lap while he looked over a newspaper. It was very quiet and peaceful then David put the newspaper down on his chest and smirked,

“Michael?”

“Yeh?”

“What dirty thoughts are going through your mind?”

“ . . . why would you think I'm thinking dirty thinks?” Michael looked over from the paper he was doodling on.

“Because you're poking me in the back of the head.” David tilted his head farther back into Michael's lap, making the brunette grimace.

“ . . . I dunno, just the usual. You. The Brothers and when we'll see them again . . . first night with Max . . . You . . . your hair when it was longer . . . you in your old leather jacket . . . on your bike . . . with no pants on . . . “

David blinked, “That is some mighty specific fantasy.”

“Sorry, libido's all jacked-up now that me and Max have done the thing.” Michael shrugged, his cheeks reddened slightly.

David laughed and chucked the newspaper aside and sat up, “well, we got some time to kill, you wanna make some noise?”

Michael blinked slowly then smiled, “Yeah!”

It wasn't difficult to quickly disrobe and David smirked, moving to straddle Michael's lap, “You think I'm sexy?”

“Yeah.” Michael smiled and framed David's hips with his hands.

David leaned forward and kissed up Michael's neck, “You wanna fuck me?”

Michael tilted his head back, his cock jerking slightly, “Yes!”

“How bad you wanna fuck me, Mikey? How bad you wanna shove that cock into my tight ass?”

“Oh, gods, David . . . David, please let me fuck you . . . “

David sucked a bruise into Michael's neck then moved to the other side and worked his way down to Michael's nipple, lapping at it until it was hard and did the same to the other,

“Hmm, well . . . I suppose if you make me ready yourself, I can allow it.” David smiled and kept sucking at Michael's nipples.

Michael quickly shoved his fingers into his own mouth and sucked on them until they were slathered in saliva then reached back and brushed his fingertips over the tight pucker. David arched his back and hummed, his eyes closed slightly. Michael swallowed and slowly nudged a finger up to the first digit into David.

“You don't have to go slow, Mikey, this isn't my first rodeo.” David rasped, “Just get it wet and shove in.”

“I'm just trying to be gentle.” Michael murmured, putting his free hand on the small of David's back, pulling the blonde closer to him.

“I don't need you to be gentle, Michael,” David reassured, “I'm fine to move on.”

“If you're sure?”

“More than.”

“Okay . . . “

Michael gripped his own cock and positioned the head against David's hole, slowly pushing in. David threw his head back and sighed,

“Ah, yeah, that's good.”

Michael smiled a little and breathed out slowly as he seated himself into David's ass,

“Not as warm as a human.”

“Well, no, I've been dead for over half a century.” David chuckled then grunted as Michael thrust his hips upwards.

Michael grit his teeth, “Tight . . . “

“And how.” David groaned and lurched forward, nibbling and sucking on Michael's neck, “Oh, you feel so good . . . “

Michael huffed, “Can we change positions? I think there's a spring loose in the cushion . . . “

“Yeah.” David grimaced as he pulled off and planted his hands on the armrest, “How's this?”

Michael quickly stood up and moved to be behind David, “Fantastic, hang on.”

“Hanging o- ah! Fuck! Jesus H. Christ, Michael!” David's fingers dug into the armrest and he looked down between his legs at Michael who was kneeling down there giving him a really good rim-job and jacking David's cock, “Mmph!”

Michael chuckled against David's hole then stood and bent over him, “Ready?”

“Been ready, let's go!”

Michael smiled then slid his cock into David's waiting ass, making the blonde arch his back and groan,

“Ah, yeah, that's the good stuff!” David moaned.

Michael pumped his cock into David then pulled almost completely out before shoving back in again, he repeated this motion several times, all the while rubbing David's cockhead with his thumb and using his other hand to twist and pluck at David's nipples. The older vampire was practically snarling in his urgency to release,

“Harder, Mikey, fuck me harder!” David hissed as his fangs dropped, “Want you so deep I taste you when you come!”

Michael growled and lunged forward, digging his fangs into David's shoulder and coming as the blonde's sweet blood hit his tongue. David howled and arched back into Michael, spilling his own cum onto the hideous upholstery of the couch.

When they finally came down from their own bloody nirvana David shifted away and turned around, pulling Michael into his arms,

“ . . . glad I was wrong about you . . . you and Sam and Lucy, I was so wrong.” David murmured into Michael's sweaty hair.

“ . . . yeah?” Michael smiled tiredly up at David with bleary eyes.

“Yep, never gonna admit it ever again but this time, I was wrong and Max made the right choice in turning you all.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took this long, life sat it's big fat inconvenient butt in my way and I had to take a break and regroup. So sorry you had to wait and hope you enjoy and thanks to a lil anon for some ideas in this chapter!


	10. A Great Deal of Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the long wait. My ideas went a bit stagnant and I lost my home twice over as many years plus other personal things happened that were not pleasant and this fic sort of just fell by the wayside but I had an epiphany and I very much hope this will revitalize my ideas for the story because I really enjoy writing this one! Enjoy!

David and Michael were curled up under a blanket on the moth-eaten couch when David heard footsteps, he opened one eye a fraction to look at the clock across the room then huffed, wasn't it a bit early for the shop to open?

“Think Lindy and what's his name have come to pick us up.” He murmured, nuzzling Michael's hair.

“Means we gotta put on pants.” Michael sighed, “Five more minutes.”

David smirked and lifted his head to greet the two vampires only to freeze and tighten his grip on Michael.

“Morning, boys.”

“Mike . . . don't move.”

“What is i-” Michael's eyes widened as he and David looked down the barrel of a shotgun.

The man in the trenchcoat holding the gun gestured to the side, “Nice and easy, on the floor.”

“Who are you?” David asked as he carefully slid to the floor, pushing Michael behind him as they knelt naked on the bare concrete.

“Your Sire noticed me the other night, I've been keeping track of your little family for a while now.” The Hunter cocked his head, lifting a walkie-talkie from his pocket, “I got the two secured here, come on in and join the party.”

Michael and David exchanged looks as they heard a door open above them and several sets of footsteps coming down the stairs. Four men with handguns and belts with silver stakes holstered at their hips came down the stairs, one of them turned to look back up the stairs,

“You comin' or what?”

“Yes, yes, hold on.” a familiar voice called as a pair of expensive Italian leather shoes made their way into view followed shortly by suit pants and then the jacket followed by the face of-

“Milo.” David hissed.

Milo smiled, “Well, well, well, here we all are!”

“Took you long enough, I thought we had a deal.” The lead hunter muttered.

“We still do, here you have my brother's eldest Childe and his mate's biological son, what better bait to lure him out?” Milo smiled tightly.

“Why don't we just off them?” Another asked, taking a stake out of his belt.

Milo rolled his eyes, “Did you not hear what I just said?”

“Seems like more trouble.” The man shrugged.

“Good things to those who wait.” Milo growled impatiently.

“Truss 'em up, boys, we have to wait for the right transport to get here, moving these leeches is going to be a bitch.” The leader ordered.

Milo's eyes narrowed, “Would you mind not using slurs pertaining to my kind while in my presence, Jon?”

The Hunters' leader, Jon, smirked, “So sorry, _my Lord_ , I meant no offense.”

The men grabbed Michael and David and handcuffed them behind their backs and pulled out two bike locks ([image here](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi2tIyIv-DYAhVJ8mMKHRZOBlYQjhwIBQ&url=https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Sports-7015777-Hands-Off-Bike-Lock/17619565&psig=AOvVaw0dBrA0uolBfJOYiBjXxHXK&ust=1516329853153022)), they secured the loop behind either boys' head and fit the lock in their mouths, locking them in place. David snarled loudly and Milo chuckled,

“I suppose I should explain a few things while we wait, hm?” Milo smiled widely, “Would you like that, David?”

David snarled loudly around the lock, his fangs digging into the metal of the lock.

“I'll take that as a yes,” Milo brushed off the sofa cushions and sat down, “First things first, these fine gentlemen are Hunters, but I'm sure your quick mind already figured that bit out. Not the same ones from California that my dear brother was so certain were hot on your trail, they aren't so well-organized that they would all be in contact with each other, but my brother seems to be completely oblivious to that fact. Unfortunately for Max, his reputation proceeded him, there's no way for large groups of us to move cross country without detection and he's pretty well known or did you think he had to move out to Cali for his health?”

David rolled his eyes and jerked his head to the side, indicating that Milo should _get on with it_.

“Anyway, the Hunters you see here have a little arrangement with me, I get to have my club and territory, I don't wipe them out, and they get to pick off the undesirables when the population gets too inflated. So, when Maxy called me saying you brats fucked everything up on the West coast, I of course opened my home to you all, right after I gave my friends here a little call. Let them drive Max insane by loitering about the building and make him think the situation was more dire than it really was so I got to toy with you all, fuck your little brother, and all that good stuff.” Milo chuckled, “I knew he was going to call Mother, I didn't know he was going to sneak out in the middle of the night and hide out in a dingy little eatery, but then I can't know everything. And what luck that they decided to all split up. I admit, I thought I would be able to corner all of you, but the first night when I saw only a few leave, I knew I had stumbled onto my perfect revenge.”

Michael growled around the lock and shook his head, “Yoor so fug ob shib!”

“No, I'm just predisposed to holding a grudge. Did Max never tell you why we were thrown out to begin with? How he laid waste to so many towns and villages that we had no choice but to leave our home? His bloodlust was so horrible in his younger years that even Mother's immense influence and wealth couldn't cover up all of it. But, Mother was afraid that if left on his own he would begin to kill without thought once more so she forced me to go along with him in hopes that the responsibility of having a younger sibling to look after would curb his behavior and seeing how I was not her favorite, it was easy for her to part with me, even if it meant that Max would leave me to die or just kill me himself to have freedom. We were sent to live in one of her territories in New England, here in lovely old New York.” Milo sighed, “It backfired spectacularly, I was almost killed by vampire hunters and Maxwell already had plans to flee to the West and begin his own dynasty with his precious son, David at his side. Well, we all know how that went, don't we? I am the one that built an empire in one of the largest cities in the country and he was sequestered to one tiny little town with a pack of brats to care for. How tragic.”

Milo stood up and bent over David and pinched his cheek none too gently,

“If it weren't for Max being a bloodthirsty, brainless tyrant, I might not have been as much a success here as I am, but then again, because of being forced out I'm painted in the same light as him! No one will do business with me, I'm blocked out of any territory and I don't even own the land I'm living on, the son of a bitch that does own it tithes me, I can't leave the city, and the only vampires that will work with me are the ones I've Sired myself. No hope of expanding my empire and-”

“We wouldn't let you even if you tried.” Jon muttered, fingering the trigger of his pistol.

Milo sneered, “I love the way you humans think you're intimidating to me,” He turned back to David and Michael, “So to wrap up this little expositing monologue, if I manage to lure Max back here and kill him, Mother might just think better of me and lift her hold on me. And I of course will dispose of all of Max's offspring and mate to finish his line and claim my place as heir to my mother's kingdom.”

“Ull neber ged away wid id.” David snarled.

“Watch me.” Milo smirked, he knelt down in front of David, drawing a knife, “Maxy will want proof I've captured you; my word is essentially useless to him and I can't very well take a picture of you to send to him, but he knows the scent of your blood as surely as his own.”

Milo ran the tip of the knife across David's cheek before slicing it across his neck and holding a cloth to the gushing wound then stuffing the soaked rag in a bag and sealing it. David howled angrily but collapsed as his body was rapidly being drained of blood, he lost his balance and fell over onto Michael. Milo smiled,

“I imagine with the diet of bagged blood, you weren't at full strength to begin with and you seem to be bleeding out. Do you know what happens to a vampire suffering from a complete desanguination? You'll eat anything. I've known vampires on the brink of starvation that eat anything that comes too near, cats, dogs, rats . . . other vampires.”

David and Michael exchanged looks of concern as David kept bleeding.

“It won't take long either, a few days and you'll chew through your tongue to try and get some blood, maybe you'll be able to gnaw through the lock and if that happens, it means that you're hungry enough to eat anything and anyone. I wonder if you'd be able to restrain yourself from eating say . . . Michael? Perhaps we leave you two alone in a room to await for dear Max to rescue you? He'd better hurry, you won't have much time.”

The two vampires were finally hauled off their feet and dragged up the stairs, black sacks were put over their heads and they were stuffed into the back of a vehicle.

* * *

David snarled as the bag was pulled off his head, he was shackled to a wall in a dark room with concrete walls and no windows with a single bare lightbulb hanging above him, long chains were attached to manacles on his ankles and wrists. At the far wall, just within reach was Michael, he was chained almost directly to the wall by his arms hanging above him, his feet dangling in the air a few inches off the ground.

Jon smirked at the two vampires, “Everyone comfy?”

The bike locks were undone from their heads and David snapped at the human, “You'll regret this!”

“I'll bet,” Jon chuckled, “Course if your sire doesn't come through, you're the ones who'll regret crossing paths with us.”

“Max will kill all of your men and then he'll kill you slowly!” Michael shouted, trying to reach the floor.

“Not if he wants to see either of you two again, you don't know where we are and neither does anyone but us. We could be miles underground or in another town and beyond that, you can only escape at night. You're chances aren't that great on your own.”

David swallowed and looked around, there was nothing to indicate where they were or how much time had passed. He looked across the room at Michael and tried to keep the hopelessness off his face but Michael didn't look very optimistic himself.

Jon smirked, “You two sit tight and be good.”

With that he left the two boys alone, David sighed heavily and stood up, he started testing the length of his chains along with how close he could get to Michael. He pulled and tugged at the chains, leaning forward against them until his face was almost and inch from Michael. David stepped back then touched his neck where the gash was, it hadn't healed up and he had to sit down and catch his breath, he felt dizzy, light headed.

“Alright, so . . . if I go feral it'll take a lot for me to get to you,” David closed his eyes, “I don't know what point I'll have to get to for me to chew through my hands and feet, but here's hoping I don't reach that point.”

Michael's eyes watered, “Dad'll come get us, everything will be fine.”

David licked his lips, “ . . . You know they're going to kill him, right?”

“Not before he kills them.”

“No, Mike, they're going to promise to make a trade, us for him. Then they're going to kill him and might just leave us here to die.”

Michael shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks, “No! No, you're wrong, Dad will come and get us and we'll be fine!”

David blinked then nodded, “Alright, alright, Mikey, it's okay, don't cry. Dad will be here soon and we'll be fine.”

* * *

David paced again, panting softly as the chains dragged behind him, Michael swallowed nervously, he was hungry but he knew that if he was hungry then David was absolutely starving. David had assured him a few times that he had the endurance from decades of unlife, it would be a while before he was really feeling the hunger.

But still Michael felt himself growing more and more anxious with each pass David made, wary of how his older brother's eyes flitted in his direction,

“David, sit down or you'll wear yourself out faster.”

David plopped onto the floor without his usual snarky comeback which was a very bad sign.

“David?”

“Hm?”

“Are you . . . are you alright?”

“Mhm,” David sighed, closing his eyes, “ . . . tired.”

“Stop walking then.”

“No, you don't understand, if I'm too tired to walk then I'm hoping to wear myself out so when hunger hits me I can't move.” David opened his eyes and they were tired and sunken.

Michael nodded slowly, wishing he could so more to comfort David, “Why don't we do something to pass the time?”

David snorted, “You suggest 'I Spy' and I'll chew my feet off and escape without you.”

Michael snorted, “How about you just talk to me? You're real good at talking.”

“Alright, about what?” David stretched out on his back and stared up at the dark ceiling, Jon had turned the light out when he left them some time ago so it was pitch black in the room now.

“ . . . Tell me about Max and you and how all of you came together.” Michael closed his eyes, trying to ignore how much his shoulders hurt or how his hands had long since gone numb from lack of blood flow.

David sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, “I met Max over fifty years ago in New York, I'd run away from my abusive father . . . I was dying I think, not quite sure but I think I caught something from one of the women my father sold me off to. I never really liked what they made me do, but if you're drunk enough you don't remember or care where hands are and what they're doing. Max found me in a gutter, he made me a promise that I was too sick to question and he turned me. We met Marko next on our way to the West some twenty years later, he tried to sell himself to me, Max turned him for me and-”

“I thought Marko was the youngest out of you four?” Michael interrupted.

David smirked, “He was the youngest to get turned but no, Dwayne is the youngest out of us.”

“Oh . . . huh.”

“Mhm. So Marko came with us to Washington where we found Paul dealing drugs and sold me some good shit, we fucked and smoked crack and had ourselves a good ol' time til Dad got home with little Marko. He asked if I was enjoying myself and I said 'why yes, father, I am' and he said 'well we can't let the good times stop, now can we?' and he turned Paul for me. Finally fifteen years went by and we settled ourselves into California. Max ran a bar that Marko, Paul and me worked at and that's where we found Dwayne sleeping in the dumpster in the back waiting for us to dump the extra food out. He was real pretty, if a little dirty, and he wasn't afraid of us at all so Max asked what he was doing and he told us how he'd run away from his foster home a few weeks back. Max turned him for us and that's our origin story. We stayed at Santa Carla for a couple years then you Emerson's happened and now we're here.”

Michael shifted, “ . . . You all lived really shitty lives.”

“Yeah, well, times were different. Things got much better once Max took us in.” David rolled onto his side and stared at Michael, he could make out Michael's outline and base features.

“I can't put what Milo said of Max and who I know Max is together. They seem like two different people.”

“For all we know Milo was lying to us to get under our skin, Mikey, besides, it doesn't matter who Max _was._ We know who he is now and that's what counts.” David slowly sat up and swallowed, “I'm so hungry . . . When we get out of here, I swear to hell if Dad doesn't let me drain a whole Sorority house, I'll drink him dry.”

Michael smiled, “I bet he'll let us drain a whole town.”

“He better!” David laughed weakly, “I . . . I'm so glad it was us.”

“And not the brothers?”

“The little brothers, yeah. Gods, if Sam or Marko or anyone else were locked up here, I'd tear the world apart looking for them. I'd even go out in the daytime to find any of you.” David bit his lip.

“ . . . even me and Sam?” Michael ventured.

“You, Sam, Mom, yeah, I'd die before I'd give up looking for you. You're my family, you're all I got,” David swallowed thickly, his throat felt tight and dry, he croaked in a harsh whisper, “And I'll die before I kill you.”

Michael breathed in slowly, “If you can, survive off me for a little while, I won't complain too loudly, but you'll have to be able to reach me.”

“I could probably dislocate my shoulder or both but it would be difficult and might be more than I can handle.”

“Let's hold off on that until we can't find another way.” Michael looked toward the heavy door, “If you were able to reach the door, can you open it?”

“There's no handle on this side and it slides to open so it's probably latched or locked somehow on the other side without needing a lock and handle. Like a slide lock or chains or something.” David chewed his lip thoughtfully.

“So even if you could get to the door, it would be impossible to open it?”

“Not impossible but extremely difficult without tools or anything to hold on to.”

“ . . . we're fucked, then.”

“Looks like it and even IF I could get the door open, to reach it I would have to chew through my ankles and wrists and that would probably drain me of any blood I got left . . . “

“But, you'd be able to reach me then and drink from me and maybe then-”

“I still wouldn't have hands, Michael.” David pointed out.

Michael swore under his breath and looked around then up, “Wait, I think I have something.”

“Oh?”

“My hands are chained up with just regular old handcuffs, the chain is a lot thinner than yours and I bet with our combined weight we could break the link holding me up.” Michael looked around for a moment, then licked his lips, “Then I would be the one with hands and I could get us out of here!”

David blinked then nodded, “I suppose it's our best chance.”

“Right.”

They stared at each other through the darkness then David looked down at his hands,

“I . . . I should get started on this, shouldn't I?”

“ . . . could you maybe not face me while you do that? I just . . . I don't think I could stand it and I can't turn around.” Michael whispered.

David nodded, “Y-Yeah.”

He slowly turned to be sitting facing the wall and swallowed thickly, raising his wrist up to his mouth, his fangs slid out and he sank them into his flesh, biting down into the skin and muscle and grateful that his own body muffled his cries because goddamn did it hurt and he had three appendages to chew through after this one . . .

 


End file.
